Jabalpur: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a Rs 472-crore facility for the overhaul of T-series battle tanks at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ), an ordnance unit in Madhya Pradesh.
Under the upcoming project, the facility will overhaul 80 T-72 and T-90 tanks annually, officials said.
The Indian Army requires the overhaul of around 230 such tanks every year, they said.
The Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi (in Chennai), currently overhauls around 150 tanks annually. The new facility at the 57-year-old VFJ will bridge the remaining shortfall, the officials said.
VFJ is a premier military vehicle manufacturing unit operating under Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited and the Ministry of Defence.
Established in 1969, the factory initially produced Shaktiman 3T vehicles in collaboration with Germany’s MAN, as well as Nissan 1T and Jonga vehicles in collaboration with Japan’s Nissan Motors Co.
The factory complex is spread over 330 acres, while its adjoining estate covers another 600 acres, the officials said.