India Plans to Upgrade Zorawar with Cummins 1,000hp Engine, Aiming for 40 hp/tonne Power-to-Weight Ratio to Counter Chinese Type 15 Tank

In a major move to bolster its high-altitude military capabilities, India's Ministry of Defence is planning a significant power upgrade for its new light tank, Zorawar.

The project will see the prototype's current 760-horsepower engine replaced with a formidable 1,000-horsepower Cummins Advanced Combat Engine (ACE).

This enhancement is aimed at achieving a superior power-to-weight ratio of 40 hp/tonne, strategically positioning the Zorawar to effectively counter China's Type 15 light tanks deployed along the northern borders.

The development of the Zorawar light tank is a direct response to the operational gaps highlighted during the 2020 military standoff in the Galwan Valley.

The incident underscored the Indian Army's need for an agile, air-transportable, and powerful armoured platform specifically designed for the rugged, low-oxygen environment of mountainous terrain.

India's main battle tanks, the heavier T-72 and T-90, are primarily optimized for plains and desert warfare, facing mobility challenges in high-altitude regions.

Named after General Zorawar Singh Kahluria, a 19th-century commander celebrated for his successful campaigns in the Himalayas, the 25-tonne tank is a collaborative effort between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and private sector giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

Its primary mission is to provide India with a credible armoured presence in strategically sensitive areas like Ladakh.

The new engine, the Cummins ACE, represents a leap in combat vehicle technology. Developed with the U.S. Army, the 14.3-litre engine features an innovative opposed-piston, two-stroke design. This eliminates the need for a conventional valve train, resulting in a more compact and power-dense unit.

The ACE delivers a 50% increase in power density and a significant reduction in heat emission, making it ideal for the extreme cold and thin air of high altitudes where engine performance typically degrades.

Initially, Project Zorawar faced procurement hurdles. The original plan to use an 800hp German MTU engine was delayed by strict export controls, prompting a switch to the 760hp Cummins VTA903E-T760 for the prototype.

Although the German engine was eventually cleared, the Ministry of Defence opted to continue with Cummins, citing supply reliability. To further the "Make in India" initiative, the ministry has reportedly urged Cummins to establish a production or assembly facility within India.

The Zorawar is equipped with a versatile and potent weapons package. Its main armament is a Belgian-designed John Cockerill 105mm high-pressure gun, capable of firing multiple types of ammunition and anti-tank guided missiles. This is supplemented by a remote-controlled machine gun and twin launchers for anti-tank missiles.

The tank also integrates advanced systems including artificial intelligence-based situational awareness, drone integration, and an active protection system to defend against incoming projectiles.

Developmental and field trials for the tank have shown promising results. Following initial tests at L&T's facility in Hazira, the Zorawar successfully completed desert trials in September 2024 and commenced high-altitude trials in Ladakh in December 2024, demonstrating excellent mobility and firing accuracy at elevations above 4,200 meters.

The tank is scheduled for further missile firing trials in 2025, with comprehensive user trials by the Indian Army expected to last 12 to 18 months before its planned induction by 2027.

The Indian Army has approved an initial order for seven regiments of the light tank, totaling 354 units, at an estimated cost of ₹17,500 crore (approximately US$2.1 billion).

While L&T will manufacture the first batch of 59 tanks powered by the 1,000hp ACE, future production runs may feature an indigenously developed engine.

The DRDO's Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) is working on a 700hp engine, though some experts have raised concerns that this may not meet the desired power-to-weight ratio for optimal performance in mountain warfare.

 

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[sanket]

Wow, a week ago I said that a DATRAN 1500 Hp scaled-down version of the 1000 Hp should be developed for the Zorawar Tank. It's currently powered by a 700 Hp odd engine. For the prototype, it's understandable to use a foreign engine, but for the production model, it should have an indigenous engine. Then they will say its order is limited to just 350 units. That's the problem: if future engine supply, components, or maintenance is stopped, issues will start. Atmanirbhar is the only way in the long term.

 

[Mithu Roy]

This is our problem. The moment we change the engine to 1000 hp, we have to go through a new cycle of testing, and there will be a delay of two straight years minimum.

 

[INDIAN]

Till the time we depend on outsiders for engines, we are not independent. We have to listen to foreign powers when to do a ceasefire. And see the confusion: DRDO is developing a 700hp engine, and here we have a requirement for a 1000hp engine. India's defence's left hand doesn't know the requirement of its right hand.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

India already assembles V92S2 engines for T-90. Why not modify them for use in Zorawar?

 

[Akshat]

This is our problem. The moment we change the engine to 1000 hp, we have to go through a new cycle of testing, and there will be a delay of two straight years minimum.

Unlikely. The Indian military hurries through the testing when the product is indigenous.

 

[SuperSonic Stallion]

India already assembles V92S2 engines for T-90. Why not modify them for use in Zorawar?

The V92S2 is nearly 40litres in capacity and it's a V12, meaning it has 12 cylinders and pistons. This ACE Cummins is a lot smaller at 14litres and it has less pistons but makes the same power as the Russian engine.

The Cummins is compact and it should be easier to maintain due to less number of pistons and cylinder.

Modifying the Russian engine will be too difficult and wasteful when an alternative exists for it.

 

[Kira]

If you are going with a 1000hp engine first and then downgrading to 700hp later, it does not make much sense. Also, for a requirement of about 300 or 400 tanks, you don't need full-spectrum indigenization as it does not make commercial or strategic sense, plus having multiple companies coming up with multiple iterations of their own is a facepalm moment too, as those designs would needlessly have to go through all the extensive testing and trials again and again. As this tank already meets the needs of the IA in its current form, there is no need for any new prototypes or massive modifications.

 

[Sandeep]

For the first regiment it has about 60 tanks which will use the 105mm cockerill turret that’s going to be manufactured under a license which is fine as we urgently need those tanks on the frontline. Whether we use a 1000hp Cummins or MTU engine with an automatic transmission it’s absolutely fine as both engines are really good, reliable, easy to maintain and has a long lifespan.

It’s critical that we should 100% indigenously design, develop and manufacture the entire tanks including the body, turret, equipment and technology. For the larger batch of 250 tanks we are going to be using a 100% indigenous unmanned 105mm turret which includes a light and medium remote controlled machine guns, automatic grenade launcher, ATGM etc. This would be a good opportunity to 100% indigenously develop and manufacture our own 1000hp engine with an automatic transmission for the rest of the indigenous light tanks which would make us more self reliant.