Indian Army issues RFI to restore T-72 tanks

In an effort to reduce reliance on Russia, India is actively seeking to indigenize the production of assemblies, sub-assemblies, and spares for their armoured vehicles.

 

 

 

 

To this end, the Indian Army has issued a request for information, calling on both private defence industries and public sector undertakings (PSUs) to assist in overhauling and extending the life of their aging T-72 main battle tanks. With an estimated 2,400 T-72s in its arsenal, the Indian Army has faced challenges in obtaining necessary spares for maintenance and repair due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

 

In response, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has reached out to domestic defence companies for assistance in producing the necessary assemblies for Russian tanks. Several industrial houses have expressed interest in this opportunity, as the government hopes to reduce the cost of these spares and strengthen their self-reliance in defence production.

 

The Army is not only completely overhauling their tanks, but also upgrading less than half of their T-72 tanks with new engines, fire control systems, and other modern capabilities to prepare for modern warfare. In their Request for Information (RFI), the Army specified their desire for a "base overhaul" of the T-72 tanks, where all equipment is restored to a like-new condition, ensuring improved service and operational reliability for the remaining lifespan of the tank.

 

Responses to the RFI are open to all defence PSUs and private Indian vendors who are eligible. The overhaul of the T-72 tanks will involve a thorough process of stripping the tank, repairing and replacing any necessary parts, and testing all systems before bringing the tank back to operational readiness. 

 

The selected vendor will have ten months to complete the tank overhaul starting from the date of vehicle acceptance. Additionally, they must provide a one-year warranty for any parts, sub-assemblies, or assemblies that are repaired or replaced as per the Army's request for information (RFI).

 

Our sources indicate that if suitable vendors are identified, the next step will be to issue a request for proposal (RFP) to initiate the development of an indigenous maintenance ecosystem. This is crucial for the Army to become self-reliant in the vital military domain.

 

Currently, both the T-90s and T-72s tanks, of Russian make, are manufactured by the state-owned Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) located in Avadi, Tamil Nadu. The HVF is part of the Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), a defense public sector undertaking (PSU) established by the government by merging several former Ordinance Factories. 

 

The Ministry of Defence has recently announced plans to acquire 1,000 engines with 1,000 BHP each to power the T-72 under the "buy and make" category. This deal, which was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council in September of 2018, is estimated to cost over ₹2,300 crore.

 

Under the agreement, a domestic defence PSU will receive technology transfer from the foreign original equipment manufacturer and will be responsible for the majority of engine production in India. This marks a significant step towards enhancing our national defence capabilities. 

 

(With Inputs from HT)