Vijayanta

Vijayanta
Vijayanta MBT on static display in Bhopal
TypeMain battle tank
Place of originUnited Kingdom/India
Service history
In service1965–present
Used byIndia
WarsIndo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
2019 India–Pakistan standoff
Production history
ManufacturerVickers-Armstrongs (Initial Production)
Heavy Vehicles Factory (Indian Production)
Produced1963 (Vickers Mk.1 prototype)
1965–1986 (Vijayanta production)
No. built2,200
Specifications
Mass39,000 kg (43 short tons)
Length9.788 m (32.11 ft)
Width3.168 m (10.39 ft)
Height2.711 m (8.89 ft)
Crew4

Armour80 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)
EngineLeyland L60 Diesel
535 bhp (399 kW)
TransmissionDavid Brown Ltd. (formerly Self-Changing Gears Ltd.) TN12 semi-automatic gearbox
SuspensionTorsion 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.

  1. ^ Pioneer, The. "India's main battle tank arrives in Haldwani". The Pioneer.
  2. ^ John Pike. "Vijayanta". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  3. ^ "h14". sainiksamachar.nic.in.
  4. ^ Foss, Christopher F; McKenzie, Peter (1988). The Vickers tanks From landships to Challenger. Patrick Stephens Limited. pp. 185–186. ISBN 1-85260-141-8.