New shelters, special fuel, batteries: Indian armour gets ready for Ladakh winter

Before the May 2020 military stand-off, just a third of the tanks and BMPs currently deployed in eastern Ladakh were stationed in the region. (ANI Photo)

While tanks were inducted across Zoji La in 1948, frontline MBTs like T-90 have been recently inducted in the region.

Officials said sustaining such a heavy fleet is a humongous challenge, particularly in the high altitudes of eastern Ladakh where temperatures during winters can go up to minus 30-degree Celsius, although Ladakh’s dry desert-like terrain is well suited for deployment of tanks and mechanised vehicles, and its broad river valleys apt for manoeuvres.

Officials said most armoured vehicles stay in heated shelters that have been constructed in the last few years in eastern Ladakh.

An official said that tanks have operated across the Zoji La, a high mountain pass in the Kargil district, since 1948 when the Army inducted Stuart Mk-V light tanks to surprise the invading tribesmen from Pakistan. But permanent deployment and maintenance of modern tanks and keeping them battle ready 24×7 is a logistical nightmare, the official said.

A tank consists of a firing gun system and tracked chassis. The hydraulics in the gun system gets impacted due to the extreme cold weather; in the chassis, it is the fuel system, and the lubrication is affected by the cold weather.

The Army has also been working to identify multiple routes to induct tanks and BMPs up to the LAC. (ANI Photo)

“Exposure to sub-zero temperature and oxygen-deficient atmosphere freezes the fuel and lubricants and impacts the mechanical efficiency of the platforms. The hydraulics, electronics and batteries of the heavily sophisticated platforms are also impacted,” the official said.

Battle-ready at short notice

To counter this and to ensure the platforms are battle-ready and can be started at short notice, the Army has turned to special fuel and multigrade lubricants which are resilient to extreme cold temperature ranges. Such fuel and lubricants were developed for the alpine regions and have now been introduced by Indian companies.

Officials said common all-temperature diesel have undergone trials and would be procured for the fleet which will reduce the need to procure and stock multiple types of fuel.

The hydraulics in the tank’s gun system gets impacted due to the extreme cold weather; in the tracked chassis, it is the fuel system, and the lubrication is affected by the cold weather. (ANI Photo)

“Moreover, better hydraulic fluids that do not freeze at lower temperatures or lose viscosity due to extensive operations – for both tanks and artillery guns – are also being introduced in the region,” the official said.

The Army is also getting Pure Lead Tin (PLT) batteries for the entire range of heavy vehicles deployed in eastern Ladakh – these are known to have better tolerance to low temperatures as compared to normal lead-acid batteries.

“These are being used for trucks and are being tested for heavier armoured vehicles. These batteries deliver high current and are vital for starting tanks in extremely low temperatures,” an official said.

Officials said most armoured vehicles stay in heated shelters that have been constructed in the last few years in eastern Ladakh.

Continuous operational checks, movement drills and day-night training are being held regularly to keep the tanks and the crew battle ready round-the-clock. (ANI Photo)

“Air blowers are used here to maintain temperature and the complete fleet can be housed in these temperature-controlled shelters,” an official said, adding that special covers for the platforms and heated shelters for the tank crew are also in place.

Continuous operational checks, movement drills and day-night training are being held regularly to keep the tanks and the crew battle ready round-the-clock.

The Army has also been working to identify multiple routes to induct tanks and BMPs up to the LAC.

Another official said that transportation of tanks needs roads with smaller gradients and larger turning radius to enable the Tatra-based tank transporters to move. Moreover, transport aircraft and helicopters of the Indian Air Force have been extensively used to induct heavy equipment along with the platforms such as guns and spare parts.

The force has also established two medium repair facilities beyond Leh to cut short the maintenance cycle for the tank fleet, BMPs and artillery guns deployed there. (ANI Photo)

As reported by The Indian Express, the IAF has airlifted nearly 70,000 Army troops and heavy platforms like tanks, artillery guns and BMPs weighing over 9,000 tonnes as part of efforts towards enhancing the overall operational preparedness in eastern Ladakh.

Officials said that availability of infrastructure for these heavy platforms has gone up manifold and more is being made available to the Army for further induction of platforms in Ladakh, if needed, adding that eventually the T-90 tanks will be the mainstay of the Army in the region.

An official said the Army has developed a tailor-made operational logistics philosophy to mitigate adversity of extreme weather and altitude conditions.

“These include civil-military infusion under Project Gati Shakti for engineering support, supply chain management, development of state-of-the-art infrastructure and inter-services synergy,” the official said.

“At the operational and tactical level, introduction of specialist equipment to include rectifiers, PLT batteries, utilisation of specialist grade FOL (fuels, oils, lubricants), preventive maintenance and development of best practices have enabled operational readiness of 95% which contributes significantly to the operational preparedness of the Army.”

The force has also established two medium repair facilities beyond Leh to cut short the maintenance cycle for the tank fleet, BMPs and artillery guns deployed there, officials said. This, they said, ensures that the complete fleet is battle-worthy without the need for backloading to Udhampur.

Until a few years ago, the Army had heavy repair facilities in Udhampur and Delhi. Tanks as mechanical platforms need extensive repairs and maintenance after specified durations. These facilities today ensure that such heavy field repairs are conducted as far forward as possible, saving months of maintenance downtime and keeping the platforms operationally-ready at all times.

Officials said similar efforts are also being undertaken in high altitude areas of Sikkim where these platforms are deployed. The Army has been looking to procure around 350 light tanks for deployment in the mountains.