While the T-72 was a top-notch tank platform during the Soviet days, the MBT has not performed well in Ukraine to date.
As exchanges of fire between India and Pakistan continue to unfold, the potential for a full-blown war is rising. New Delhi and Islamabad have remained at odds since the late 1940s, when British colonial rule ended, and the Indian subcontinent was divided into what became Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India. While both nations have long sparred over the controversial Kashmir region, recent cross-border attacks are leading many analysts to fear an all-out war could be right around the corner.
The renewal in violence stems from a deadly attack that occurred on April 22 in the Indian-controlled Kashmir. Indian officials believe that the gunmen responsible for killing at least twenty-six people in the terror attack were a part of a proxy Pakistani military force. While Pakistan denies this accusation, tit-for-tat violence following the Kashmir attack has ensued. Although United Nations Secretary General António Guterres called for restraint from both nations, rising death tolls on both sides indicate a cessation in cross-border attacks will not be imminent. Specifically, there is potential for a ground incursion by either side. New Delhi already has deployed its fleets of T-90 and T-72 main battle tanks (MBTs) to Kashmir over the years. If the conflict rages on, these Soviet-era armored vehicles may see combat.
India’s Tank Arsenal: The T-72
Just last month, New Delhi penned a deal to procure nearly $250 million dollars’ worth of new engines for its existing tank fleet. Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport agreed to deliver 1,000-horsepower engines to replace the T-72 platform’s original 750-horsepower engines. The terms of the contract also include the transfer of production technologies to New Delhi-based companies so that manufacturing can be achieved locally down the line. The Soviet-era tank series represents the most widely used MBT across the globe. Manufactured in six countries to date, the T-72 remains in service with the armies of at least thirty-five nations.
India first received the T-72 tank, designed “Ajeya” by the Indian Army, during the Cold War. As for the layout of the MBT, the T-72 is divided into three main compartments with the commander, gunner, and power pack at the rear. In terms of firepower, the T-72 is armed with the 12mm smoothbore gun/launcher 2A46M. Three types of ammunition can be fired from this gun, including high-explosive anti-tank fin-stabilized, armor-piercing fin-stabilized, and high-explosive fragmentation fin-stabilized rounds. While the T-72 was a top-notch tank platform during the Soviet days, the MBT has not performed well in Ukraine to date. India currently operates a couple of thousand T-72 tanks, but they are set to be replaced by the nation’s Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) program down the line. Until then, the influx of more advanced engines provided by the recent deal between India and Rosoboronexport will help New Delhi’s existing T-72 tanks remain battle-ready. As tensions continue to ramp up in Kashmir, these Cold War-era MBTs may see combat.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Shutterstock.
