Archive · 27 Aug 2026
Rajnath Singh Calls Tanks Vital Despite Rise Of Drones
India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said tanks are still important for protecting the country’s borders.
He called them an “iron wall” that can discourage enemies and encourage soldiers.
He spoke while starting a project to maintain and repair tanks in Jabalpur.
The new facility is expected to repair 80 tanks each year.
The Army needs about 230 tank overhauls annually.
Another factory currently handles about 150 of them.
Singh said warfare is changing because drones and missiles are becoming more important.
He said the best approach is to use tanks and newer technologies together rather than depend on only one weapon.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called tanks an “iron wall” on India’s borders and a morale boost for soldiers.
Singh laid the foundation stone for a Rs 472-crore tank-overhaul facility at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur.
The facility is expected to overhaul 80 T-72 and T-90 tanks annually.
The Indian Army requires about 230 tank overhauls annually, while Heavy Vehicles Factory currently handles around 150.
Singh said tanks, drones, missiles and other systems must work together in modern warfare.
- Who
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Indian Army and Vehicle Factory Jabalpur.
- What
- A Rs 472-crore facility for overhauling T-72 and T-90 tanks was launched, alongside a defence ministerial statement that tanks remain important.
- When
- Thursday; the factory was established in 1969.
- Where
- Vehicle Factory Jabalpur in Jabalpur, India.
- Why
- The facility is intended to help meet the Indian Army’s annual tank-overhaul requirement and strengthen combined use of tanks with drones, missiles and other systems.
Tanks Remain Vital
New Technologies Challenge Traditional Warfare
Role in modern combat
Tanks Remain Vital
Rajnath Singh said tanks remain relevant because of their mobility and firepower, and should be modernised rather than eliminated.
New Technologies Challenge Traditional Warfare
The article notes that some question whether tanks remain relevant as drones, missiles and other advanced technologies play a growing role.
Preferred military capability
Tanks Remain Vital
Singh argued that tanks continue to be necessary for ground warfare and can serve as an “iron wall” that boosts soldiers’ morale.
New Technologies Challenge Traditional Warfare
The minister acknowledged that battles can no longer be won through conventional methods alone, requiring drones, missiles, artillery and electronic warfare systems.
How weapons should be used
Tanks Remain Vital
Singh advocated a combined combat system in which tanks and drones operate with effective coordination.
New Technologies Challenge Traditional Warfare
A single-platform approach is insufficient in changing warfare, making broader reliance on multiple advanced systems necessary.
- Project cost
- Rs 472 crore
- Annual capacity
- 80 T-72 and T-90 tanks
- Army requirement
- About 230 tank overhauls annually
- Existing capacity
- Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi overhauls around 150 tanks annually
- Factory age
- Vehicle Factory Jabalpur was established in 1969
- Factory complex
- 330 acres, with an adjoining 600-acre estate
- Operating organization
- Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited