India disqualified from Russian tank race due to equipment failure

India was disqualified from the 2017 Tank Biathlon tournament after both T-90S tanks it brought to Russia broke down at the same time.

Both Indian T-90S tanks crashed. Video:TVZvezda.

During the semi-finals of the 2017 Tank Biathlon in Russia, India's T-90S main battle tank unexpectedly broke down, forcing the crew to use the spare vehicle. However, the second tank also broke down, disqualifying India and allowing China to win, entering the finals with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.NDTVAugust 11 news.

Military analysts said the incident was very rare, with both modern T-90S tanks breaking down at the same time. The Indian tank could not climb the hill, and then the engine compartment emitted a lot of white smoke. The cause has not been announced, but it is likely that poor maintenance caused damage to the engines while they were constantly operating at high intensity. In addition, the crew may have made a mistake when climbing the hill, causing the engine to overheat and fail on the spot.

In previous competitions, India has always used T-72B3 tanks provided by host country Russia. At Tank Biathlon 2017, New Delhi decided to bring two T-90S tanks to compete, to demonstrate the power and effectiveness of its state-of-the-art weapons.

Indian T-90S tanks compete at Tank Biathlon 2017. Photo: TvZvezda.

India is currently the country operating the largest number of T-90S tanks in the world with 1,600 in service. The Indian team is also highly regarded at this year's Tank Biathlon.

Tank breakdowns and inability to continue competing have occurred several times in the international tank racing tournament organized by Russia. Last year, a Chinese Type-96B lost a wheel while driving over a rough road, while a Kuwaiti T-72B3 tank capsized while cornering at high speed.

According to VNE