India's Armor Gets a Boost: A Closer Look at the T-72 and T-90 Upgrades

India is taking significant strides in modernizing its armored forces, and at the center of this effort is a substantial upgrade program for its mainstay battle tanks – the T-72 and T-90.

The Indian Army is not simply looking to buy more powerful machines; it's investing in transforming its existing assets into more capable platforms, demonstrating a strategic focus on self-reliance and indigenous technological development.

The T-72: A Workhorse Transformed​

The backbone of India's tank fleet, the T-72, is set to receive a heart transplant. A ₹2300 crore project will see nearly 1000 of these tanks fitted with new, indigenously developed 1000-hp engines.

This represents a significant power increase over the current 780-hp models, giving the T-72s enhanced battlefield mobility and agility.

Importantly, the upgrade approach prioritizes cost-effectiveness and leverages existing knowledge. Engineers have redesigned peripheral systems like cooling and intake while retaining core engine components.

This ensures a reliable upgrade path with reduced development time. Rigorous testing guarantees the engines' combat readiness.

'Make in India' in Action​

The T-72 upgrade program embodies India's "Make in India" initiative. Approximately 800 of the new engines will be manufactured domestically.

This is not just about upgrading tanks; it's fueling India's defence industry, creating jobs, and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers.

The upgrades extend beyond just horsepower. The T-72s will receive crucial enhancements like:

• Thermal sights: Providing superior night-fighting capabilities.
• Fire detection and suppression systems: Boosting battlefield survivability.
• Other targeted improvements: Potentially including communication and battlefield management systems upgrades

The T-90S: Sharpening the Edge​

India's more advanced T-90S main battle tanks are also receiving a technological boost. This includes:

• Automatic target trackers: Enhancing target acquisition and engagement.
• Digital ballistic computers: Improving firing accuracy.
• Commander thermal imagers: Providing enhanced situational awareness.

Beyond the Hardware: India's Strategic Vision​

The T-72 and T-90 modernization programs signal India's commitment to maintaining a technologically superior armored force capable of facing contemporary threats.

The combination of indigenous development and carefully selected imports demonstrates a savvy approach to defence procurement, maximizing combat potential while building a self-sufficient defence industry.

This move underscores India's growing ambition as a regional power and its determination to independently safeguard its security interests.

The upgraded T-72s and T-90s will form a formidable armored fist, ready to deter aggression and ensure India's continued rise as a self-reliant military power.

 

[sanket]

Apart from Muscle Power it needs Aerial Protection (Drones & Loitering MMunition).

 

[Anant]

Numbers are wrong. 2300 crore is 277.4 million USD, while 23000 crore is 2.77 billion USD. If the former is the correct figure, then this is a decent stop-gap measure. If it is the latter, then this is a ridiculous upgrade.

 

[Pink Panther]

Apart from Muscle Power it needs Aerial Protection (Drones & Loitering MMunition).

Even Cope cage is useless against drones and loitering munitions.

 

[Mango_Indian]

This is just band aid. The engine is being rebuilt to develop more power - it is not being re-engined. The only positive thing is the thermal sights, computers and the electronic upgrades.

But hey, something is always better than nothing. If the protection and armour was also upgraded, that would have been ideal.

 

[Frank]

Some advice

1) Ukraine won counter offensive and liberated Kharkiv kherson using Himars and atamc precision weapons and NATo Sig intelligence location Russian positions

Lesson we must develop himars atamcs

2) Then Russia used EW to disrupt GPS signals and made himars atams inaccurate

Lesson we must develop powerful EW

3) Russia and Ukraine both using FPV drones and ki lling troops in trenches

4) Ukraine used drone boats and drowned big Russian ships. Ingenious method.

5) Russia won avdivka because Russia had more Artillery production. Lesson for Atmanirbharta

6) and most importantly Russia using FAB glide bombs

Russia is winning only because of these glide bombs right now

Cheap mass produced glide boms with 500kg and 1500kg explosive power is wrecking havock on Ukrainian lines..

Lesson we must develop 100km 150km glide boms.

Isreal also uses jdams glide bomba heavly

Lesson develop our glide bombs

 

[Prashu Sam]

These are outdated systems and due for replacement with FICV. Why wasting money on this?

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Numbers are wrong. 2300 crore is 277.4 million USD, while 23000 crore is 2.77 billion USD. If the former is the correct figure, then this is a decent stop-gap measure. If it is the latter, then this is a ridiculous upgrade.

dude, 2.77billion for 1000 tanks comes to 2.7 million per tank. refurbishing and modernising a tank for 2.7 million is a bargain. Of course a T90 would be a better tank than a modernised T-72. But if we dont modernise these t-72 then they go to scrap. we would have to replace these tanks with T90, which would be many times more expensive.

Look at russia, it is pulling old T-72, T-64, even T-55 from storage, refurbishing, modernising them and sending them to ukraine. If they would have gone for making T-14 armata or T-90MS, it would have been impossible to build them at such huge numbers.

 

[Akhil]

Which engine is this and who are producing them?
Hardly any details on the engine manufacturer and whether the engine will be rebranded/renamed.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

very good idea. Much better than scrapping them. Even russia is pulling old T-72, T-64, even T-55 from storage, refurbishing, modernising them and sending them to ukraine. If they would have gone for making T-14 armata or T-90MS, it would have been impossible to build them at such huge numbers.

a mix of modern tanks and older tanks is best choice keeping in mind the cost

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

These are outdated systems and due for replacement with FICV. Why wasting money on this?

because, other option would be to scrap them, which would be a much bigger waste. Indian army already scrapped many vijayanta tanks.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

This is just band aid. The engine is being rebuilt to develop more power - it is not being re-engined. The only positive thing is the thermal sights, computers and the electronic upgrades.

But hey, something is always better than nothing. If the protection and armour was also upgraded, that would have been ideal.

it is best of a bad situation. the alternative would be to scrap them, which is terrible idea. Look at russia, it is having to go deep into their reserves and bring out old tanks.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Apart from Muscle Power it needs Aerial Protection (Drones & Loitering MMunition).

well, that is achieved by having AA systems like gepard and pantsir or armored vehicles with Igla and stinger systems, attached to tank units.

 

[Baka007]

Making a tincan even more expensive will end badly for India...

 

[Baka007]

Some advice

1) Ukraine won counter offensive and liberated Kharkiv kherson using Himars and atamc precision weapons and NATo Sig intelligence location Russian positions

Lesson we must develop himars atamcs

2) Then Russia used EW to disrupt GPS signals and made himars atams inaccurate

Lesson we must develop powerful EW

3) Russia and Ukraine both using FPV drones and ki lling troops in trenches

4) Ukraine used drone boats and drowned big Russian ships. Ingenious method.

5) Russia won avdivka because Russia had more Artillery production. Lesson for Atmanirbharta

6) and most importantly Russia using FAB glide bombs

Russia is winning only because of these glide bombs right now

Cheap mass produced glide boms with 500kg and 1500kg explosive power is wrecking havock on Ukrainian lines..

Lesson we must develop 100km 150km glide boms.

Isreal also uses jdams glide bomba heavly

Lesson develop our glide bombs

Lessons they(Indians) will never Learn 😪

 

[kumar]

If only IA had shown half the interest on arjuns.

 

[Anant]

dude, 2.77billion for 1000 tanks comes to 2.7 million per tank. refurbishing and modernising a tank for 2.7 million is a bargain. Of course a T90 would be a better tank than a modernised T-72. But if we dont modernise these t-72 then they go to scrap. we would have to replace these tanks with T90, which would be many times more expensive.

For a new tank, 2.77 million USD would be a good deal. For a tank as obsolete as the T-72, it's a damned rip-off. The T-72 has shown itself to be utterly incapable of standing a decent chance in modern combat. Russia has lost atleast 1,372 T-72s (49.15% of their overall tank losses), while Ukraine has lost atleast 219 T-72s (29.04% of their overall losses).

The T-72 is a tank of the past. Even the Army has made plans to retire them between 2030 and 2037-38, which is already a decade beyond when they should have been retired. Their design made them a decent tank for the 1970s and 1980s, but as conflicts over the last 30+ years have shown, their design has fundamental unfixable flaws.

You know, if some bright spark in the Army is deciding to throw 2.77 million USD per T-72 down the drain, I'd recommend the Army instead divert that money to the FMBT program. They have started with a ridiculously low budget (4 million USD per tank), and while even 6.77 million USD isn't going to get you even a half-decent tank, every bit of funding helps. The T-72 is out of date, irrespective of whether or not you like it.

Russia is pulling old tanks out if storage because it has no other option. Trust me, if the Russians could have a T-90M for every five of the stored tanks, they'd happily take that deal. They don't, so they are pulling those tanks, which, to absolutely no one's surprise, are doing just as badly as expected.

There is also the fact that the loss of a tank in combat doesn't hurt as much as the loss of a trained crew does. I am not sure how you feel on this matter, but I'd much rather prefer our soldiers to be safer in newer tanks than constantly playing with death in these deathtraps.

By your logic, we shouldn't retire the MiG-21 either. After all, if we ended up in a war, we would need them, right? Tell that to the families of the hundreds of pilots who have lost their lives in MiG-21s crashing over the last six decades!

War isn't a game of top trumps, where having more forces means you'll win. Wars are won by having better people, better technology, and better doctrine. Want an example? Look at the Battles of 63 Easting and Norfolk in the Gulf War, in February 1991. A Coalition Armoured Division with Abrams and Challenger tanks went up against a numerically superior Iraqi tank force armed with T-72 tanks. The result? The Coalition lost 4 tanks, 7-8 IFVs and 57 men killed (and a further 3 tanks damaged and 156 men wounded), and the Iraqis lost some 1,970 tanks and other armoured vehicles destroyed or captured, along with seeing 600-1,000 men killed and over 11,500 men captured, besides taking heavy losses in artillery units as well.

 

[Anant]

because, other option would be to scrap them, which would be a much bigger waste. Indian army already scrapped many vijayanta tanks.

Not quite. We scrapped most of the Vijayanta tanks because they were hopelessly obsolete by 1990s and 2000s standards. The T-72, which was decent by the standards of that time, is getting absolutely massacred today in Ukraine.

By your logic, we should just cancel all R&D, and just start manufacturing World War 1-era British Mark IV tanks and Sopwith Camel fighters in bulk. After all, we could easily manufacture several thousand of those a year if we got down to it. Numbers alone are sufficient to win wars, aren't they? Better still, let's just start blasting mountains and getting boulders. After all, you can stop any enemy and even a nuclear bomb with boulders alone in sufficiently large numbers, can't you?

 

[Hari Sud]

Ukraine won counter offensive and liberated Kharkiv kherson using Himars and atamc precision weapons and NATo Sig intelligence location Russian positions

You make me laugh that Kharkiv and Kherson were liberated….. Ha….Ha……Ha.

 

[Akshat]

dude, 2.77billion for 1000 tanks comes to 2.7 million per tank. refurbishing and modernising a tank for 2.7 million is a bargain. Of course a T90 would be a better tank than a modernised T-72. But if we dont modernise these t-72 then they go to scrap. we would have to replace these tanks with T90, which would be many times more expensive.

Actually we paid less than 4 million for the T90s, excluding the ToT. And they were made in India.