New Delhi announced a multi-million dollar contract with Russian arms exporters while Israeli-based defense industries seemingly get the cold shoulder.
The Israeli-based Rafael responded to a request for information (RFI) issued by the Indian Ministry of Defense last month, which sought local and foreign companies to submit proposals to provide improved armor for the Indian military’s fleet of T-90S/SK Bhisma main battle tanks (MBTs).
The tanks were developed in partnership between Moscow and New Delhi and are being built in India under license.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems produces the Trophy active protective system (APS), which has been used on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Merkava MBTs since 2011. It is now employed by nations worldwide, including the U.S. Army’s M1A2 SEPv2 Abrams. The British Army’s still-in-development Challenger 3 is expected to use the Trophy APS.
Last October, the first German Leopard 2A8s were outfitted with the Israeli-made platform.
The Indian RFI sought to acquire an APS that could counter man-portable anti-tank guided missiles and guided rockets and provide protection from IEDs and unmanned aerial systems (UAS), including loitering munitions or Kamikaze drones. Rafael announced a partnership with Indian-based Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at the Aero India 2025 International Exhibition to produce a variant of the Trophy APS for the Indian military’s requirements.
A Big Deal With The Russians
According to a report from the EurAsianTimes, the Israel-based Nimda had previously proposed upgrading the engines in India’s T-72 Ajeya MBT fleet.
India has operated the variant of the Soviet-designed T-72 since the 1980s. Approximately 2,500 are still in service, and just last year, New Delhi announced that it was considering selling some retired models to customers in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia as newer T-90s enter service.
Afterwards, New Delhi announced that it had signed a $248 million contract with Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport to purchase more powerful engines for the fleet of Cold War-era tanks.
“The deal also includes the transfer of technology from Rosoboronexport to Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited near Avadi, Chennai, for integration and subsequent licensed production of engines under technology transfer to boost the ‘Make in India’ initiative in the defense sector,” Russian state media outlet Tass statement claims.
The total number of T-72s that could be outfitted with the improved engines isn’t precise at this point, but it would likely be more than 1,000, funded with the sale of the retired models to other nations.
This latest deal is another reminder that even as India has sought to increase its domestic arms production, it remains the largest buyer of Russian military hardware exports.
About The Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons/Presidential Press and Information Office of Russia.
