Zorawar: The war machine built to counter China takes centre stage in India's Belgium defence outreach

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and Belgium are working together on modern defence equipment, citing the indigenous Zorawar light tank as an example, after holding delegation-level talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in New Delhi on Thursday.

De Wever is on a three-day official visit to India at Modi's invitation, his first trip to the country as Belgian premier and the first visit by a Belgian prime minister to India in nearly two decades. He is accompanied by Belgium's Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade, Theo Francken, along with a delegation of officials, business leaders and representatives from the Belgian defence industry.

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Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held separate talks with Francken aimed at expanding bilateral manufacturing capabilities, with both sides signing pacts to bolster industrial collaboration.

What makes Zorawar central to that cooperation

The Zorawar is India's first indigenous light tank, developed in 19 months and designed specifically for high-altitude warfare in the Himalayas.

The programme was conceived amid tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control, as a counter to the Type 15 light tanks the Indian Army encountered during the standoff; Zorawar is lighter than the Type 15 but comparably armed, according to a TOI report.

The tank is named after General Zorawar Singh, a 19th-century Dogra Army general known as the "Conqueror of Ladakh."

Weighing around 25 tonnes and built for extreme terrain and low-oxygen conditions, its firepower is anchored by a Belgian John Cockerill 3105 turret mounting a 105mm rifled gun with an autoloader.

It is also fitted with a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun, a 12.7mm remote-controlled weapon station, and twin launchers capable of firing Nag Mk2 anti-tank guided missiles, an addition TOI described as a notable boost to its firepower.

The Army has also sought laser warning receivers and an active protection system for the platform.

The tank runs on a Cummins 760hp diesel engine paired with a Renk transmission, reaching speeds of up to 70 km/h with a range of 450 km, and uses hydropneumatic suspension for rugged terrain. Its light weight allows it to be airlifted by C-17 Globemaster aircraft.

The Army has historically relied on light tanks in the region, including the Stuart light tank used to capture the Zoji La pass in 1948, and the AMX-13, which saw action in Chushul in 1962 and helped blunt Pakistan's Operation Grand Slam in the Chhamb sector in 1965.

The Indian Army has placed an initial order for 59 Zorawar units, against a total requirement of 354 tanks, with a competition to be held for the remaining 295, according to the report.

The government has cleared a requirement for seven regiments of light tanks, and induction is expected in 2027. Prototypes have completed high-altitude trials in Nyoma, Ladakh, above 4,200 metres, successfully firing multiple rounds against criteria for firepower, mobility and protection.

Belgium's John Cockerill Defence has since entered a joint venture with Pune-based Electro Pneumatics and Hydraulics to manufacture the Cockerill 3105 turret in India, its first such production line outside Europe, aligning the Zorawar programme with the "Make in India" push that featured in Thursday's talks.

(With inputs from TOI)