| Vijayanta | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Vijayanta MBT on static display in Bhopal | |
| Type | Main battle tank |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom/India |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1965–present |
| Used by | India |
| Wars | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 2019 India–Pakistan standoff |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Vickers-Armstrongs (Initial Production) Heavy Vehicles Factory (Indian Production) |
| Produced | 1963 (Vickers Mk.1 prototype) 1965–1986 (Vijayanta production) |
| No. built | 2,200 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 39,000 kg (43 short tons) |
| Length | 9.788 m (32.11 ft) |
| Width | 3.168 m (10.39 ft) |
| Height | 2.711 m (8.89 ft) |
| Crew | 4 |
| Armour | 80 mm (3.1 in) steel (hull and turret front) 30 mm (1.2 in) steel (side hull) |
Main armament | 1 x 105 mm L7A2 (44 rounds) |
Secondary armament | 1 x 12.7 mm MG (ranging gun) (1000 rounds) 1 x 12.7 mm MG (pintle mount) (2000 rounds) 1 x 7.62 mm MG(Co-Ax) (500 rounds) |
| Engine | Leyland L60 Diesel 535 bhp (399 kW) |
| Transmission | David Brown Ltd. (formerly Self-Changing Gears Ltd.) TN12 semi-automatic gearbox |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
Operational range | 530 km (330 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 50 km/h (31 mph) |
The Vijayanta (en: "Victorious")[1] was a main battle tank built in India based on a licensed design of the Vickers Mk.1. The Vijayanta was the first indigenous tank of the Indian Army.
The prototype was completed in 1963[2] and the tank entered service on December 29, 1965.[3] The first 90 vehicles were built by Vickers in the UK.[4] Production continued at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi until 1983 with 2,200 being built.
- ^ Pioneer, The. "India's main battle tank arrives in Haldwani". The Pioneer.
- ^ John Pike. "Vijayanta". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
- ^ "h14". sainiksamachar.nic.in.
- ^ Foss, Christopher F; McKenzie, Peter (1988). The Vickers tanks From landships to Challenger. Patrick Stephens Limited. pp. 185–186. ISBN 1-85260-141-8.