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India unveils Zorawar light tank meant for disputed Himalayan border region
- It will be better suited to mountainous terrain than the Indian Army’s heavy battle tanks and is expected to enter service by 2027
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India has unveiled a prototype of its first home-grown light tank, designed for use in the difficult Himalayan terrain along the disputed border with China.
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The prototype tank – called Zorawar – was unveiled this month after just 2½ years in development.
A joint project of the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation, or DRDO, and manufacturing contractor Larsen & Toubro, the tank made its debut on July 6 at L&T’s test facility in Hazira, Gujarat.
DRDO chief Samir Kamat said development trials, including desert and high-altitude, were expected to be completed within six months. It will then be passed to the Indian Army for more trials, with the tank expected to enter service by 2027.
Zorawar is a response to a 2020 border clash with China – the worst in four decades – that killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops. Troops from the two sides have continued to face off in the disputed Himalayan border region since then and talks remain deadlocked.
The tank is named after Zorawar Singh Kahluria, a 19th century general who defeated the Qing Chinese in Ladakh – where the deadly Galwan Valley clash took place four years ago.
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