An Indian private company AVNL created a hybrid combining components from two main battle tanks — chassis from the T-72 and the T-90 turret. Initially revealed in early January, the project had a working title T-79 Kumbhkaran, or simply Nigama.
Now the specifications of the vehicle, renamed as Atharva, became public as well, and they seem to be worse than featured by the original T-72, Defence24 notes. The Indian military was expected to adopt the model shortly after presentation but there is no data yet in that regard.
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This hybrid came to life because the Indian military was searching for an efficient way to update and modernize its vast fleet of about 2,400 T-72 Ajeya tanks on a mass scale. The T-90 turret was chosen because the Indian defense industry has already localized production of this tank component.
The Hybrid MBT MK2 With Successful Mating Of T90 Bhishma Turret And TIFCS And T-72M1 Ajaya Chassis And Power pack Seems To Be Going For Trials At Thar Desert In Next Few Months And May Also Seen At Ladakh.pic.twitter.com/8dx01VxyZ0 — Kunal Biswas (@Kunal_Biswas707) January 25, 2023
However, no alterations were done to the T-72 chassis, even the engine power output remained the same. Consequently, Atharva turned out with a combat weight of 45.8 tons (2 tons above the standard T-72), same engine and worse mobility compared to both the T-72 Ajeya and the local T-90S Bhishma.
On the other hand, the installation of the T-90 turret increased the firepower, armor thickness, and situational awareness, factors which make Defence24 editors believe the upgrade is successful overall.
Another upside is that India could start offering this modernization to other countries in the pool of T-90 operators or those interested in an upgrade to their T-72s.
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