Indian firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) announced that it is ready to partner with South Korean defence giant Hanwha Defense to produce light tanks for the Indian Army.
L&T is expected to offer the K2-105 light tank to the Indian Army if it partners with Hanwha Defense. A spokesperson for L&T told Janes on February 7 that the company plans to work with Hanwha Defense on manufacturing light tanks for the Indian Army. As a result of the partnership, both companies already produce the K9 Vajra T self-propelled howitzer (SPH), which is a derivative of the K9 Thunder SPH.
The spokesperson for L&T added that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has only released the request for information (RFI) for the light tanks and not the tender. Since the tender’s classification will determine the program’s future direction, joint production of light tanks remains uncertain at this point.
During an interview with Janes on January 13, Hanwha Defense announced that it is willing to develop the K21-105 light tank jointly with L&T for the Indian army.
