EXCLUSIVE | Inside Army's tactical drills in Ladakh: T-90 Bhishma, T-72 & BMP-II ICV roar 14k feet above-WATCH
By Anish Kumar | First Published Sep 25, 2024, 6:19 PM ISTThe Indian Army’s armoured units, including T-90 Bhishma, T-72 tanks, and BMP II Infantry Combat Vehicles, have successfully carried out a tactical exercise at an altitude of approximately 14,000 feet in eastern Ladakh.
Nyoma: The Indian Army’s armoured units, including T-90 Bhishma, T-72 tanks, and BMP II Infantry Combat Vehicles, have successfully carried out a tactical exercise at an altitude of approximately 14,000 feet in eastern Ladakh.
Since the border standoff between Indian and Chinese troops began in May 2020 across several locations in Ladakh, the Indian Army has strategically deployed both personnel and armoured machinery, including tanks and infantry combat vehicles (ICVs), in significant numbers.
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Nyoma, one of the key locations in this region, has seen regular drills involving all three types of armoured elements as part of the Army’s efforts to maintain operational readiness. Situated at 13,700 feet, Nyoma is known for its harsh terrain and extreme weather conditions, with temperatures plunging to -40 degrees Celsius.
During the exercise, the tanks and combat vehicles practiced manoeuvres, including crossing the Indus River.
Asianet Newsable's Anish Singh spoke with the soldiers operating these tanks and ICVs to understand the importance of these armoured assets in such a challenging environment.
Manoj Kumar, Tradesman, T-90 said, “We are fully prepared to destroy our enemy at this altitude also. It can be deployed anywhere and remove its obstacles to cross the area.”
“We can carry out deep fording with the tank and easily cross water bodies," he added.
The T-90 main battle tank is an advanced iteration of the T-series, featuring enhanced firepower, mobility, and protection. It is manufactured by HVF, an original equipment manufacturer based in Chennai.
Providing insights on T-72 tank, Naib Subedar Khetre Prakash stated, "This is T-72, which is produced in India. It has fire capability of day and night. It is being operated by three crew members. They are driver, gunner and commander. It has 800-hp engine. The commander directs the gunner to fire upon the targets while the driver has been mandated for the movement of the tank."
It is worth noting that a few months ago, the Indian Army set up two tank repair facilities in the region, one in Nyoma and the other in Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), to support the maintenance and repair of its armoured units.
Meanwhile, shedding light on BMP-II ICV, Subedar Wazir Singh said, "The BMP-2 plays a crucial role where ever it is deployed. It can be deployed in deserts, plains, water bodies, and mountains."
“It is equipped with ATGM (anti-tank guided missile), 30-mm gun system, PKT and smoke grenade launcher. This ICV is manned with 10 crew members. In plains or deserts, it has a speed of 65-kmph while in the water bodies it runs at 7-kmph of speed," he added.
“It would have no impact if the temperature goes to minus 30 degree or up to 50 degree," he further noted
Sanjay Kumar, tradesman, BMP-II, said, "We went for a nine-month of basic training and then six months of trade training."
In March, the government signed an agreement with Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) to procure 693 armament upgrades for the Infantry Combat Vehicle BMP2, upgrading them to BMP2M.
The upgrade features enhancements such as night enablement, Gunner Main Sight, Commander Panoramic Sight, and a Fire Control System (FCS) with an Automatic Target Tracker, under the Buy {Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured} category.
India and China share a 3,488-km long border that spans Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, with 832 km of this border located in eastern Ladakh.
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