India is the largest foreign operator of the T-90 main battle tank under a deal concluded in February 2001. This is according to military expert Peter Suchiu in an article dedicated to the "25th anniversary of the iconic Russian tank" T-90S "Bhishma."
The T-90S was initially assembled in Russia, then India received the necessary technologies and localized production.
The Indian Army has over 1100 T-90S "Bhishma" tanks in service.
The expert emphasized that the contract with India helped the Russian tank industry. This industry faced great difficulties in the 1990s and early 2000s amid a serious economic crisis. Even now, Russia hopes to cooperate with India, offering assistance in organizing the production of the T-90MS, he added.
Technical characteristics of the T-90S "Bhishma" tank
- Hull length — 6868 mm
- Length with gun — 9530 mm
- Width — 3780 mm
- Weight — 47 tons
- Suspension — torsion bar
- Engine — V-shaped 12-cylinder diesel model V-92S2 with turbocharging
- Road speed — up to 65 km/h
- Armament: 2A46M smoothbore gun, large-caliber machine gun, coaxial machine gun
- Active protection system
The T-90S "Bhishma" is considered one of the most advanced versions of the T-90. It was specially developed for the Indian Army and named after the legendary warrior from the epic poem "Mahabharata."
Suchiu recalled that New Delhi's decision in favor of the T-90 was deliberate. Two years before the contract was signed, 3 T-90S prototypes were tested in the Thar Desert (located in the northwest of the country). The tests lasted for 2 months and proved that the Russian tank is effective for operation in these climatic conditions, he concluded.