Jabalpur, Aug 27: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday laid the foundation stone for a Rs 472-crore facility at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ) to undertake the overhaul of T-series battle tanks, officials said.
The new facility will have the capacity to overhaul 80 T-72 and T-90 tanks annually, helping the Indian Army meet its maintenance requirements.
According to officials, the Army requires around 230 T-series tanks to be overhauled every year. The Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi in Tamil Nadu currently handles around 150 tanks annually, while the new facility at VFJ is expected to address the remaining shortfall.
The 57-year-old Vehicle Factory Jabalpur is a premier military vehicle manufacturing unit operating under Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited and the Ministry of Defence.
Established in 1969, VFJ initially manufactured Shaktiman 3T vehicles in collaboration with Germany's MAN, besides producing 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, officials said.
