India to field the T-14 Armarta?

[ChalkLine]

It looks like India might field the Russian T-14 Armarta. (https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/could-russias-t-14-armata-tank-be-headed-india-34477)

This is interesting not in the least because India could probably afford to field more of the T-14s than Russia can!

India currently fields 2000x T-72 and 1000x T-90 making them a formidable tank power. While the PLA mightn't be all that worried you can bet that there's a lot of Pakistani tankers looking south with concern.

The whole China-India factor really opens up the concept of a multi-aspect Twilight War. A massive WW2-style war could occur in Northern India

[Raellus]

A big Armata sale could help the Russians buy more of said tanks themselves. A large Indian order could subsidize the expansion of production, ultimately lowering the cost per unit for follow-up buyers.

[RN7]

The whole China-India factor really opens up the concept of a multi-aspect Twilight War. A massive WW2-style war could occur in Northern India

Getting the tanks over either side of the Himalayan Mountains and the other "foothill mountains" which are higher than the Rockies might be a problem for China and India.

[unkated]

Getting the tanks over either side of the Himalayan Mountains and the other "foothill mountains" which are higher than the Rockies might be a problem for China and India.

There is no good access across the Himalayas for heavy vehicles. In 1962, the Indians did field some armored cars up there, but that's it.

More important than getting the vehicles across the Himalayas would be being able to run supply chains where there is next to no infrastructure at all.

So, I doubt there would be a lot of action on that front.

Besides, I thought the shortform of T2K in South Asia was India and Pakistan nuke each other? Given that, neither China nor India has much energy to spare for additional antagonisms.


Uncle Ted

[Cdnwolf]

Why go over when you can go around. Create a diversionary attack and draw the forces to the north and attack from the East.

[RN7]

Why go over when you can go around. Create a diversionary attack and draw the forces to the north and attack from the East.

So for China to launch a diversion attack on India they go around the Himalayan Mountains through a huge desert in Xinjiang Province and then invade Tajikistan which in T2K is Soviet territory, and then march south through Afghanistan and Pakistan to reach Northern India..

..and then the main attack comes through the Jungle and into Burma and then Bangladesh. I think India might notice all that.

[Raellus]

Although massed armor engagements between India and China would certainly be precluded by significant geographical barriers, a war between the two countries is not out of the question. They've already done it once before (the Sino-Indian War, 1962).

A contemporary conflict would once again be largely a contest involving mostly mountain troops, light infantry, and special forces, but being as China is now a full-fledged global power, and India an emerging one, it would now likely involve major clashes at sea and in the air as well.

Pakistan could also become involved, presumably working with China against India. Pakistan could act as a conduit for Chinese armor, although transporting tanks from China to Pakistan, especially during wartime, would be very difficult, perhaps prohibitively so. This could also apply to Myanmar.

[Legbreaker]

..and then the main attack comes through the Jungle and into Burma and then Bangladesh.

And that worked so well for the Japanese...

[pmulcahy11b]

You know, the Indians can't decide what they're going to buy -- upgraded Arjun, T-90, T-72M1, all of the above, none of the above, a mobile flaming pisspot, or whatever. Most of their armor replacement programs have been going on for 20+ years, and they're still "testing the waters" and "soliciting candidates." They may even buy a few T-14s, just in their policy of seemingly testing every armor candidate that comes down the pike. The US, UK, French, Italians, etc, gave up on trying to get hard sales from them a long time ago. They've been stringing along the South Africans and Israelis for 30 years, and that's what they seem to be doing with the Russians now.

Maybe they're trying to get enough candidates together and make a mashup!