India Seeks Local Production Rights for Russian ‘Total Kill’ Ammunition to Equip T-90 and T-72 Tanks

India has sought rights to licence manufacture kinetic energy penetrator Armour-Piercing Fin-Stabilised Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) rounds for its Russian manufactured. T-72 and T-90 battle tanks, with several thousand of these platforms currently in service and hundreds more T-90 tanks on order. The 125mm tank rounds are capable of engaging targets at ranges exceeding 2km, and the Indian Army plans to procure an additional 85,000 of them. A statement issued by the military regarding the purchase elaborated: “The armour protection on the adversary’s tanks is gradually increasing, which requires higher penetration capability to defeat. There is a requirement to indigenously develop an improved 125mm APFSDS ammunition for tanks T-72/T-90.” Delivery of new rounds is expected by the end of the year. Neighbouring Pakistan fields a number of advanced tank designs including T-80 platforms acquired from Ukraine, and is expected to acquire the more modern VT-4 from China in the near future. India is also reportedly considering acquisition of the more advanced T-14 fourth generation main battle tank to further modernise its armoured units, and these tanks are capable of deploying a wide range of new ammunition types.