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The Defence Ministry has signed contracts worth about Rs 975 crore for the procurement of specialised minefield-breaching equipment for the Army’s frontline tanks, marking a push to strengthen mobility during combat operations.
The agreements, inked with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and Electro Pneumatics and Hydraulics (India) Private Limited, cover the supply of TRAWL assemblies designed for integration with T-72 and T-90 tanks. The contracts were signed in New Delhi on Tuesday in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
The TRAWL system, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is intended to help armoured units safely navigate minefields by clearing paths ahead of advancing formations. Officials said the equipment is capable of creating vehicle-safe lanes through areas seeded with anti-tank mines, including those fitted with proximity magnetic fuses, an increasingly common threat in modern battlefields.
By enabling tanks to breach mine obstacles without halting momentum, the system is expected to improve operational tempo and survivability during offensive manoeuvres significantly.
The procurement falls under the “Buy (Indian–Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)” category, underlining the government’s emphasis on domestic defence production. Apart from enhancing battlefield capability, the project is expected to boost local industry, particularly small and medium enterprises involved in component manufacturing.
Officials indicated that the programme will generate both direct and indirect employment while strengthening the domestic supply chain for critical defence equipment.
The induction of these systems comes as the Army continues efforts to modernise its armoured fleet and improve its ability to operate in high-threat environments, where mobility through mined terrain remains a decisive factor in combat success.
Team BharatShakti
