Zorawar: What’s special about India’s first light tank? The meaning behind the name, weapons and more | Today’s news
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about India’s Zorawar light tank as he opened up about India-Belgium collaboration to build modern defense equipment. The Prime Minister held delegation-level talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in New Delhi on Thursday. De Wever is currently on a three-day official visit to India at the invitation of Modi, also the first visit to the country by a Belgian prime minister in 20 years.
The star of the day was India’s Zorawar.
Indian light tank, Zorawar
As the country’s first indigenous light tank, the Zorawar was developed in just 19 months, the Economic Times reported. It is designed specifically for high altitude warfare in the Himalayas.
At 25 tonnes, the Zorawar is said to be lighter than the Type 15. However, according to an ET report, the new tank remains comparatively armed. The tank was designed to operate in extreme terrain and low oxygen levels.
Meaning of Zorawar
The Zorawar was developed as a light and mobile armored platform, specifically for high-altitude terrain.
Due to its relatively light weight, it can be fully transported by a C-17 Globemaster, as several reports have suggested. The tank comes with a speed of up to 70 km/h and a range of 450 km, the Economic Times reported. It is said to use hydropneumatic suspension for rugged terrain and is powered by a 760bhp Cummins diesel engine mated to a Renk gearbox.
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Weapons used in Zorawar
The Zorawar’s firepower is said to be anchored in a Belgian John Cockerill 3105 turret, which mounts a 105mm rifled gun with an automatic loading device.
It is also equipped with a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and a 12.7 mm remote-controlled weapon station, the report added.
The tank is also believed to have a pair of launchers, both capable of firing Nag Mk2 anti-tank cruise missiles.
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Meaning of the name Zorawar
The tank comes with a unique name that has sparked curiosity among netizens. It turns out to be named after General Zorawar Singh, a 19th century Dogra army general known as the “Conqueror of Ladakh”.
The name associates the tank with the region where it is intended to operate, high-altitude warfare in the Himalayas.
Other light tanks of India
The Indian Army has historically relied on light tanks in the region.
The Stuart light tank was used to capture the Zoji La Pass in 1948. The AMX-13 later saw action at Chushul in 1962 and helped in the Chhamb sector in 1965.
Zorawar processes
The Zorawar prototypes have reportedly completed high-altitude trials at Nyoma in Ladakh at an altitude of over 4,200 meters.
Prototypes successfully fired several rounds during testing, it is said.
The Indian Army has reportedly placed an initial order for 59 Zorawar tanks, against a total requirement of 354 tanks.
A competition is expected to take place for the remaining 295 tanks, the report added.
The government has approved a requirement for seven light tank regiments, with induction expected in 2027.
