The first indigenous tank of the Indian Army: Vijayanta

The Vijayanta was a main battle tank built in India based on a licensed design of the Vickers Mk.1. The Vijayanta was the first indigenous tank of the Indian Army. The prototype was completed in 1963 and the tank entered service in 1965. The first 90 vehicles were built by Vickers in the UK. Production continued at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi until 1983 with 2,200 units. A number of the tank hulls were converted to other uses such as self-propelled guns after being withdrawn from service. The Vijayanta has been supplemented by the T-72M1 in Indian service.

Variants:

• Catapult SPA – Self-propelled artillery.
• Kartik AVLB – Armoured vehicle-launched bridge.
• Vijayanta ARV – Armoured recovery vehicle based on the Vijayanta hull.
• CEASE - The Canal Embankment ASsault Equipment (CEASE) bridging system.
• Vijayanta GBT 155 Turret – A Vijayanta MBT chassis fitted with the British Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited GBT 155 turret with a Royal Ordnance Nottingham 39 calibre ordnance underwent extensive firepower and mobility trials in India. This combination was not, however, adopted for service by the Indian Army.

Vijayanta was used by the Indian army in the 1971 - India Pakistan war.