T-90M Bhishma

History of the T-90M Bhishma

For some time now, the Indian and Russian governments have maintained close military ties, which has led India to supply its armed forces with equipment that is primarily Soviet-Russian or influential. India has been developing its first indigenous main battle tank (MBT), called the "Arjun", since 1974, but many delays have led to the search for a replacement. About 248 Arjun Mk 1 models have since appeared, and 118 modified Arjun Mk IIs have been ordered, the latter being used to support the limitations found in the original operating brand.

The Indian Army has also invested in the Soviet-Russian T-72 MBT and purchased this product in the form of thousands of pieces for export. With the delay of the Arjun program and the emergence of new tanks (of Ukrainian and Chinese origin) for the Pakistan Army, the Indian government has also been forced to invest in the latest Russian main battle tank - the T-90.

Thus, the T-90M "Bhishma" appeared as a locally developed version of the Russian T-90S, the original export designation for the T-90A. The series supports the Kontakt-5 Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) block kit and features a thermal sighting device of French origin. The transition to the T-90 proved to be a limited challenge as the Indian industry had experience handling early T-72s as the two vehicles shared around 60% of parts, resulting in logistical friendliness and training of lead tanker crews The plan remains largely unchanged. The T-90M Bhishma features a new automatic loader, fire control system (FCS), main gun (2A46M-5) and a 1,130 hp engine.

An optional remote anti-aircraft (AA) gun is located on top of the turret. Saab of Sweden was commissioned in 2009 to supply Bhishma with the LEDS-150 Active Protection System (APS).

The production of the tanks is carried out locally by Avadi's heavy vehicle factory. Live-fire tests have demonstrated that the survivability of these vehicles is significantly improved.

The T-90 series - the T-90S, T-90M and Bishma brands - are all expected to form the bulk of the Indian Army's MBT force, with a total force of 4,500 vehicles by 2020, second only to Russia, China and India. The United States is in the global rankings.

The tank will be on display alongside the existing T-72 and Arjun fleet.

The first deliveries of Bhishma tanks were made in 2009 by a production batch of 10 people.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

42 x 125mm projectile.

3,000x7.62mm ammo.

12 x Smoke Grenade.

Changes