Recent Indian armed forces footage shows T-90 Bhishma tanks on attack maneuvers roughly 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the country’s border with China.
Uploaded by ANI News on its social media account, the videos capture armored regiments practicing standard operating procedures (SOPs) attack drills at 14,000 feet in Eastern Ladakh.
#WATCH Nyoma: Indian Army’s T-90 Bhishma tanks showing attack maneuvers during a demonstration at an armoured range at an altitude of around 14,000 ft in Eastern Ladakh. Army has deployed T-90s and T-72s for high altitude operations in significant numbers in eastern Ladakh area pic.twitter.com/cLjdiIrSSn
— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2021
According to an Indian Army official, the region where they have been conducting exercises falls as low as -45 degrees. He said the armed forces have enhanced their SOPs to operate the tanks in this temperature and “harsh” terrain.
“The stress is now on maintenance of these tanks as extreme winters can have an impact on the rubber and other parts. If we can maintain these tanks well, we can use them here for very long,” the army official told ANI News.
The Indian Army continues to strengthen its capabilities in Eastern Ladakh to guard against military threats. Now, the armed forces are focused more on using the T-90 Bhishma and other tanks to defend the territory.
#WATCH Tank maneuvers being carried out by tank regiment of the Indian Army while practising attack operations at a location in Eastern Ladakh pic.twitter.com/X8PwSuNprp
— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2021
Bolstering Border Security
The armed forces of India have begun deploying thousands of soldiers and machines in Eastern Ladakh after Chinese armed forces moved into the “Finger” region and the Galwan Valley.
In response to this tension, India has begun developing an autonomous counter-drone system capable of protecting an area of 1,000-2,000 square kilometers (386-772 square miles).
In June, India also deployed an additional 50,000 troops along its border with China, bringing the total number of Indian Army soldiers at the border to 200,000. Of the additional troops sent to the border, around 20,000 were reportedly engaged in counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The nation also wants to acquire 1,750 infantry combat vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and capable of swift troop transport. The vehicles will reportedly be stationed in the desert and amphibious terrain of Eastern Ladakh.
