Why tanks still matter in modern warfare

Military experts and strategic think tanks believe that winning a war ultimately requires a physical presence on the ground. While drones, missiles, air forces, and cyberwarfare can cause heavy damage to military assets and infrastructure, they cannot occupy territory, force surrender, or establish political control. History has consistently shown that long-term military and political success requires ground forces.

Missiles and drones can destroy targets, but they cannot occupy and hold territory. Ground forces supported by armored vehicles continue to be indispensable for achieving critical military objectives.

The role of tanks in modern warfare has become the subject of intense debate. Critics say the proliferation of drones and precision-guided weapons has diminished their importance on the battlefield, while proponents say tanks remain indispensable as mobile armored platforms capable of delivering stunning firepower, breaching enemy defenses and supporting infantry.

Over the decades, tanks have evolved into highly mobile, heavily armed main battle platforms equipped with advanced protection systems, improved sensors and battlefield networking capabilities.

A senior Indian Army officer said that drones can create panic and cause damage, but they cannot achieve the ultimate goal of war.

“A ground invasion of enemy territory is necessary to force surrender. This is what India demonstrated during the 1965 and 1971 wars against Pakistan. Tanks remain critical for such operations,” the officer said.

He added that tanks are also evolving to counter emerging threats through lighter designs, anti-drone protection, electronic warfare jammers and hard-kill active protection systems capable of intercepting incoming missiles and drones.

Lessons from the Russian-Ukrainian war

The Russo-Ukrainian war highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of tanks. Numerous battlefield videos show tanks being destroyed by cheap drones, revealing their vulnerability in an increasingly transparent battlefield dominated by aerial surveillance and precision strikes.

The widespread adoption of drones has transformed modern warfare. They now fulfill reconnaissance, anti-personnel and anti-tank roles at a fraction of the cost of traditional anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). Many of the first drones used in conflict were assembled from commercially available components, making them highly cost-effective.

NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba comments on the importance of a strong defense industrial base

Although tanks can no longer conduct unsupported attacks, they remain highly effective when used as part of an integrated combined arms operation involving infantry, artillery, air defense, electronic warfare and drones. In such formations, tanks continue to provide unmatched mobile firepower, operational flexibility and shock effect on the battlefield.

Recent conflicts have shown that low-cost drones can impose disproportionate costs on technologically superior militaries.

During the US-Iran conflict, reports indicated that the radar sites of the US High Altitude Area Defense Terminal in West Asia were targeted by low-cost Shahed drones.

India witnessed a similar trend during Operation Sindoor, when Pakistan allegedly used swarms of low-radar cross-section drones to saturate Indian airspace, overwhelm air defense systems and deplete expensive anti-missile missiles. Inexpensive drones costing only a few crores of rupees can force a defender to drop several crores of rupees worth of fighters. Even if captured, these drones create an unfavorable economic equation for defenders. Modern warfare is increasingly becoming a battle of mathematics, where the defenders may lose economically even as they win tactically.

Zorawar light tank

Recognizing the changing nature of warfare, India is developing the original Zorawar light tank specifically for operations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In June this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Larsen & Toubro’s Hazira manufacturing facility in Gujarat, where he inspected the Zorawar light tank and other indigenous defense systems.

Developed jointly by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and L&T Defence, the 25-tonne air transportable combat vehicle is designed for rapid deployment in high-altitude areas.

The Indian Army now expects to induct the Zorawar between 2028 and 2029. Now former Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi recently stated that issues identified during development and testing are being addressed through routine design improvements. The Army plans to induct 354 Zorawar tanks under the program, which is estimated to cost around ₹17,500 crore.

One of the main reasons for the revised deployment timeline is the Army’s requirement for increased protection from enemy fire.

Developers face the difficult challenge of improving armor protection while maintaining mobility and an optimal power-to-weight ratio. Achieving both goals simultaneously is technically challenging and has lengthened the development cycle.

The Zorawar was specifically designed for operations along the LAC, where the Chinese People’s Liberation Army has already deployed Type 15 light tanks. Indian military planners see the platform as critical to narrowing the operational gap and enabling rapid reinforcement of forward positions in mountainous terrain.

India has deployed T-72 and T-90 tanks of Russian origin in Ladakh, but these platforms were originally designed for plains and desert warfare.

The T-72 Ajeya remains the army’s largest tank fleet with around 2,400-2,500 tanks, many of which are more than four decades old. The more capable T-90S Bhishma, numbering more than 1,200, form the backbone of India’s armored corps.

India has also fielded 124 Arjun Mk1 tanks, while 118 upgraded Mk1A variants are on order. However, the Arjuna’s weight of nearly 67 tonnes limited its operational utility due to restrictions imposed by bridges, culverts and rail transporters.

Until recently, India had more than 4,000 medium and heavy tanks, but not a single light tank. This absence became a major operational issue after the 2020 India-China border crisis.

A unique challenge

India faces a unique strategic challenge: it is simultaneously preparing for a conventional war against Pakistan on the plains and for armored operations against China in the high Himalayas.

The western theater is ideal for traditional armored maneuver warfare. The Northern Theater presents a completely different environment, characterized by extreme altitude, narrow valleys, weak bridges and steep slopes.

At high altitudes, tank engines lose significant power due to thin air, fuel consumption increases, movement becomes difficult, and recovery of disabled vehicles is extremely difficult. Without a credible offensive armored capability in the mountains, Indian planners feared continued vulnerability to growing Chinese military pressure.

The capability gap was recognized after the Sumdorong Chu crisis in 1987 and again after the Doklam standoff in 2017. However, the 2020 Ladakh standoff hastened the initiation of the Zorawar project under the emergency procurement program. Alongside the Zorawar programme, India is pursuing the Ranjeet project, also known as the Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV). The program aims to replace approximately 1,700-1,800 aging T-72 tanks with next-generation main battle tanks over the next decade. Expected to weigh around 55 tonnes, the FRCV will feature a larger than 120mm gun, advanced explosive reactive armour, underbelly mine protection, integrated anti-drone systems, AI-assisted fire control and network-oriented connectivity with UAVs and satellites.

The cost of the program is estimated to be ₹57,000 to ₹60,000.

“Tanks adapt, they don’t disappear”

Lt Gen (retd) Dushyant Singh, director general of the Center for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), said there is no template that applies to every conflict.

“In the India-Pakistan context, territory remains central. Neither side will give up land willingly. Likewise, the Iran-US conflict shows that unless territory is physically occupied, victory remains incomplete. Airstrikes and missiles are effective for punitive actions and destruction of military assets, but controlling the ground requires boots on the ground. Legacy platforms such as tanks and missiles remain relevant despite missiles.”

He noted that Russia has managed to seize and hold territory in Ukraine because it has both infantry and armored formations.

According to him, tanks now require dedicated anti-drone protection and integrated air defense support. Armored operations are also complicated by obstacles such as canals and layered defense lines.

Singh emphasized that future warfare will increasingly rely on integrated multi-domain operations involving the Army, Air Force and Navy, supported by cyber warfare, economic measures and naval power.

He added that military history demonstrates a continuous cycle of technological innovation and countermeasures.

“Whenever one weapon system appears to be dominant, countermeasures will eventually emerge. Tanks will continue to adapt through technological innovation and remain relevant,” Singh said.

The role has changed, it has not ended

Globally, tanks no longer dominate the battlefield as they did between World War II and the end of the Cold War. Cheap drones have greatly reduced the ability to operate independently. Yet they have not aged.

India is introducing an entirely new class of tank as its main armored challenge lies not in the drone-infested plains but in the high Himalayas, where altitude, mobility and transportability determine operational success.

The Zorawar is designed to address a uniquely Indian strategic requirement that many Western militaries do not face. The tank is no longer the undisputed king of the battlefield. But it remains something even more permanent: an indispensable part of combined warfare.

In a battlefield increasingly dominated by drones, cruise missiles, and precision weapons capable of destroying multimillion-dollar armored vehicles in seconds, tanks continue to provide one capability that no drone can replicate: the ability to physically seize, occupy, and hold ground. Ultimately, wars are not only won by destroying the enemy, but also by controlling territory. And for that, boots on the ground supported by tanks remain indispensable.

saurabh.trivedi@thehindu.co.in

Edited by Rohit Paniker