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and transmission. Turkish land vehicle manufacturer BMC plans to The FRCV will serve as the base platform for at
replace South Korean engines in 2026 with the domestically devel- least 11 tracked vehicles, including the army’s
oped 1,500-horsepower engine, BATU. The in-development engine new MBT. The primary aim of the project is to
will power various Turkish armored vehicles, including the Altay. Mass replace the service’s ageing Russian-origin
production of Altay is expected to commence in 2025, with Qatar T-72 main battle tank. At the Aero India exhi-
already having signed a billion-dollar contract to purchase up to bition in February this year, Vladimir Drozhzhov,
100 units of the tank. deputy director of the Russian Federal Service
for Military-Technical Cooperation, said that his
country was willing to share T-14 MBT technol-
In September this year, Israel unveiled its new MBT, the Barak, after ogies with India’s next-generation MBT project.
five years of development. Barak, developed jointly by the Defense
Ministry’s Armored Vehicles Directorate and the IDF’s Ground Forces
and Armored Corps, is a homegrown product and includes systems China on the Move
developed by Elbit Systems, Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries’ Weeks after the U.S. unveiled the AbramsX,
subsidiary Elta, and other Israeli defence firms. While the tank China responded with news about its latest
commander would be equipped with a helmet developed by Elbit, under-development fourth generation MBT.
the tank will have an advanced missile defense system, Rafael’s The country’s state-owned broadcaster, CCTV,
Windbreaker. According to the ministry, the tank’s firepower has showed footage of the tank as part of a series
received a “significant upgrade,” making it even more lethal.
on the modernization of the People’s Liberation
Army (PLA). The caption for the mostly covered
The Indian Army, which has the Arjun Mk-1 MBT, is looking to upgrade tank read: “The strongest on the surface in the
its fleet and has placed an order for 118 new Arjun Mk-1A battle tanks future.” According to reports, the new MBT will
have two crew members instead of the three
currently used for Type 99, China’s third-gen-
eration main battle tank, Russian-made T-14
Armata and the AbramsX. The yet-to-be-named
MBT has a network-centric control system, an
advanced data exchange system, and makes
use of AI. At AirShowChina in November 2022,
Norinco showcased the new VT4A1 MBT; the tank
is an improved version of the VT4 tank that is
in service with China, Nigeria, Pakistan, and
Thailand. The VT4A1 features improvements in
terms of protection and firepower over theVT4,
is fitted with an APS and is able to launch small
attack drones.

APS Becomes Hot Property
© U.S. Army
Another offshoot of the war in Ukraine is the
that have superior firepower, all-terrain mobility and multi-lay- spike in demand across regions, particularly in
ered protection compared to the current MBT. In October last year, Europe, for active protection systems (APS) that
Armoured Vehicle Nigam Limited (AVNL) unveiled the new MBT, which protect main battle tanks against anti-armour
it designed and developed indigenously. According to company weapons. Two of the most-in-demand APS are
officials, the new tank is fitted with a computer-controlled inte- made by Israeli defence firms - the Trophy by
grated fire-control system, commander’s panoramic sight, a Mk-Il Rafael and the Iron Fist by Elbit. Drawing lessons
automatic target tracker, a remotely controlled weapon station, from the ongoing conflict, Rafael has added a
and a muzzle reference system. silent mode to the Trophy APS. The company is
also a part of EuroTrophy, a joint venture com-
pany also involving Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
Company officials are confident about the tank’s export potential and General Dynamics European Land Systems.
and believe that it is an excellent option for African countries seek- The JV is intended to market, sell and main-
ing high-quality armored tanks that are not as expensive as those tain Trophy systems throughout NATO and the
produced by western countries. With Russia, the leading defence European Union. The production of the APS in
exporter to Africa, busy with the war, India senses an opportunity Europe will also come under the purview of the
to make inroads into the market.
company. The Trophy APS is used to protect
M1 Abrams tanks as well; Rafael partnered with
In June, the Indian Ministry of Defence approved the development Leonardo DRS to provide four brigade sets of
and production of over 590 Future Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCV). the APS to the tanks..

ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023 | 13