Indian Army To Equip T-90 Main Battle Tanks For Night Fighting
Night-blindness for Indian armoured formations has been a cause of concern for the Indian army. The T-90 tanks, procured from Russia starting early 2000s, were not equipped with night vision, a capability that enables a tank to operate in pitch darkness. This, coupled with the fact that 80 per cent of Pakistan’s frontline main battle tanks (MTB) and almost all of China’s MTBs are equipped with driver’s night sight (DNS), is a huge drawback for the army’s armoured formations.
Now, as the army is set to procure 1,400 uncooled thermal imager-based DNS, night-blindness for the Indian army will become a thing of the past. Equipped with fusion technology, the new DNS will assist the driver in tank operations at night.
The proposal document reads:
The proposed DNS will be a form-fit replacement for the existing Image Intensifier Sights currently used in T-90 tanks. It should facilitate driving during pitch dark nights with no ambient light. The T-90 tank driver should be able to clearly view the area in-front with adequate depth perception while driving over undulating terrain with the help of an uncooled thermal imaging sight.
It has been reported that an uncooled imager is less expensive and relatively maintenance-free and are used for instant operations. Indian Army plans to replace the existing image intensifier sights used in T-90 tanks in the next five years.