Indian Army leans heavily towards light tanks
The Indian Army is seeking a new light tank of about the weight of Hanwha Defense’s K21-105 for operations in mountainous areas. (Gordon Arthur)
India’s weight specifications for a new light tank for mountainous operations narrows the field considerably.
The Indian MoD has made some noticeable progress in its on-again, off-again search for a new tracked light tank – it issued an RfI on 22 April for armoured vehicles weighing less than 25t.
Of course, the issuing of an RfI often bears no tangible fruit in the Indian procurement process, with the Indian Army yet to advance elsewhere in its pursuit of new MBTs and IFVs. Nonetheless, tensions with China in the Ladakh sector may spur the army to rapidly procure a light tank suitable for operations along the mountainous border.
The RfI listed a desire for the phased
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