MOSCOW (TASS) — The Indian government has made a decision to purchase an extra batch of T-90 tanks for its armed forces. Russia is prepared to prolong the corresponding license, the federal service for military-technical cooperation told TASS.

“Russia is prepared for prolonging the license and building up the production of T-90 tanks in India in connection with the Indian government’s decision to purchase more tanks for its armed forces”, the federal service said. Russia will continue to furnish assistance to partners in India “in the further production of the aforesaid armoured vehicles.”

Indian Army T-90 Bhishma

The tanks take part in a military training exercise in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan. The tanks have two different turret armour arrays.

Earlier on Tuesday Jane’s publishing company quoted anonymous sources as saying that India’s Cabinet Committee on Security had approved the decision to purchase a batch of 464 T-90MS of Russian manufacture.

Export of Russian tanks to India
The first contract for selling T-90 tanks to India was signed in 2001. The Uralvagonzavod corporation was to provide 124 finished vehicles and another 186 assembly kits for the Indian Defence Ministry.

In 2004, Russia and India concluded a contract for the licensed production of one thousand T-90 tanks. Three years later they signed an agreement on the supply of another 124 finished vehicles and another 223 assembly kits.

In 2017, India agreed to prolong the tank production license. The deputy chief of Russia’s federal service for military technical cooperation, Vladimir Drozhzhov, told TASS that Russia was prepared to “meet any request from the Indian partners regarding the production or supply of T-90S tanks.”