India is moving ahead with an ambitious effort to strengthen the long-term sustainment of its armoured fleet by creating a major new battle tank overhaul capability at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ), where engineers are painstakingly decoding decades-old Soviet-era technical drawings, many of them written in Russian, Economic Times reported.

The initiative is intended to give the Indian Army a second major tank overhaul hub alongside the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) at Avadi in Tamil Nadu, significantly expanding the country's ability to keep its large fleet of T-72 Ajeya and T-90 Bhishma main battle tanks combat-ready.

At the heart of the project is a complex engineering challenge. Rather than simply translating Russian documents, Indian engineers must reconstruct the technical knowledge embedded in ageing blueprints and determine how specialised fixtures, machinery and equipment originally designed in the Soviet era were intended to be used during the dismantling and rebuilding of battle tanks.

Working closely with HVF Avadi, VFJ has already succeeded in deciphering nearly 70 per cent of the original drawings associated with specialised overhaul fixtures. In cases where original documentation is unavailable, engineers are developing indigenous alternatives, reducing reliance on foreign designs and strengthening domestic technical expertise.

The objective is to establish a facility capable of overhauling 80 tanks annually from April 2028. Once operational, Jabalpur will become only the second major centre in India dedicated to comprehensive overhauls of T-series tanks.

The project builds upon decades of experience accumulated through India's armoured vehicle manufacturing ecosystem. In 2001, India signed an agreement for licensed production of 1,000 T-90 tanks at HVF Avadi following an earlier procurement of 310 tanks that included technology transfer provisions. Russian specialists helped establish production processes, while Indian engineers underwent training in Russia to acquire the expertise required for local manufacture.

However, creating a dedicated overhaul capability presents a different challenge from manufacturing. Engineers must recreate specialised equipment and procedures required to completely strip down, inspect, repair and rebuild tanks that have accumulated years of operational service.

VFJ secured the responsibility for the overhaul project after successfully completing a pilot effort involving two T-72 tanks, demonstrating its ability to undertake such work. Both VFJ and HVF operate under Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), a defence public sector undertaking established to oversee India's armoured vehicle manufacturing infrastructure.

According to Harsh Bhatnagar, Deputy General Manager at VFJ, engineers have undertaken extensive studies of specialised fixtures, machinery, equipment requirements and facility layouts necessary for the project.

"Many of the original designs and blueprints are decades old and in Russian. We have carried out detailed studies of specialised fixtures, equipment, machinery and facility layouts required for the project."

Training has become a critical component of the programme. Personnel from multiple engineering disciplines have been regularly sent to Avadi to learn established overhaul processes, while experts from both facilities are collaborating to create the required industrial ecosystem in Jabalpur.

Bhatnagar acknowledged the scale of the undertaking, stating:

"It is a complex and time-consuming process, but work is progressing in line with the detailed project report (DPR) timelines."

Unlike routine maintenance, a complete tank overhaul involves dismantling the vehicle almost entirely. Engineers inspect major systems, repair or replace worn components, restore damaged assemblies, reassemble the vehicle and then subject it to rigorous testing before returning it to military service.

The process can take approximately four months for a single tank, highlighting the industrial effort required to maintain large armoured fleets.

Around 80 personnel are currently engaged in the project at Jabalpur. Initial activities are concentrating on the hull and turret sections of the tanks, while work related to internal systems and subsystems is scheduled to begin during the next stage of development.

Training activities have already been underway for roughly two years, reflecting the specialised skills needed for overhaul work. As the facility expands towards full operational capability, manpower requirements are expected to increase substantially.

VFJ estimates that around 650 trained personnel will ultimately be needed to sustain the planned overhaul rate of 80 tanks every year.

The project carries an estimated cost of ₹462 crore and represents a significant enhancement of India's armoured vehicle maintenance infrastructure. Beyond creating additional overhaul capacity, the initiative is helping preserve technical knowledge relating to Soviet-origin military platforms while simultaneously generating new indigenous expertise.

The strategic importance of the facility becomes more apparent when viewed against the scale of the Army's armoured fleet. India continues to operate one of the world's largest inventories of T-72 and T-90 tanks, and maintaining their operational availability remains essential to combat readiness.

Industry assessments indicate that the Army requires around 230 T-72 and T-90 tanks to undergo overhaul annually, while Avadi has historically handled approximately 150 tanks per year. The planned Jabalpur facility is intended to bridge much of that gap and strengthen long-term sustainment capacity.

The effort also aligns with India's broader push towards defence self-reliance. By recreating technical know-how from ageing Soviet documentation, developing indigenous replacement designs where necessary and training a new generation of specialists, the project is transforming historical dependence on foreign expertise into a domestically controlled industrial capability.

As engineers continue decoding the remaining drawings and establishing the required infrastructure, the Jabalpur facility is steadily evolving into a key pillar of India's armoured vehicle sustainment network, ensuring that the Army's existing tank fleet can remain operational for years to come.

Agencies