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India is planning to sell off its fleet of T-72 tanks as part of a broader effort to modernize its military, phasing out the aging Russian-made tanks in favor of more advanced options.
The Indian Army, which has approximately 2,500 T-72 tanks, has decided to upgrade and refurbish the older models for export to interested countries.
A senior official revealed that the tanks would undergo refurbishment in India before being shipped to international buyers. “The tanks will be modernized before export, allowing countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia to benefit from these combat vehicles,” said the official. The T-72 has been the backbone of the Indian Army’s armored forces since the 1970s, and many nations have expressed interest in acquiring the vehicles as India looks to retire them from service.
India began producing the T-72 in the 1980s at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi, near Chennai, after initially purchasing 500 units from the Soviet Union. The same facility also produces modernized T-90 tanks. Now, it will serve as the base for overhauling the T-72s intended for export.
Technical collaboration between Indian and Russian experts is ongoing to ensure the successful refurbishment of these tanks. The move could open doors for exporting other surplus military equipment, such as Russian-made BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), which are also slated for modernization.
Despite the T-72 being the most numerous tank in India’s arsenal, the Indian Army also operates around 1,000 T-90 tanks and about 100 indigenous Arjun tanks.
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