The Ministry of Defence on Tuesday signed a contract with Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), a unit of Armoured Vehicle Nigam Ltd (AVNL), for the procurement of 47 Tank-72 Bridge Laying Tanks (BLT), which offers connectivity during operations, for the Indian Army at a total cost of ₹1,560.52 crore.

The contract was inked by the senior officials of MoD and HVF and AVNL in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in North Block on Tuesday.

The BLT is a critical equipment employed to launch bridges during offensive or defensive operations by mechanised forces. It provides integral bridging capability to the tank and armoured vehicle fleet enhancing the battlefield mobility and offensive capability.

The acquisition of BLT through a Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) route will give impetus to the Make-in-India initiative in defence, the MoD stated.

Pivotal role

The Ministry also stated that this project will also play a pivotal role in boosting the overall economy and increasing employment avenues in the country.

Bridging system consisting of lunching mechanism, bridge super structure, hydraulics, auxiliary system and electronic control system. BLT T-72 carries a prefabricated steel bridge of 20m span which can be launched over an obstacle in shortest time and to facilitate crossing of vehicles.

It can lay its bridge instantly and recover the same from the far bank, after the entire tank column has crossed over.

Published on January 21, 2025