India’s Zorawar Light Tank to Be Armed with Israel’s Battle-Tested Trophy Defence System

In a bold step to protect its frontline armoured forces in hostile terrain, India is equipping its upcoming Zorawar light tank with Israel’s battle-proven Trophy Active Protection System (APS)—a high-tech shield designed to stop deadly threats like anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and armed drones before they can do any damage.

The first 59 Zorawar tanks, built for high-altitude warfare and tailor-made for the mountains of Ladakh, will feature this advanced defensive system. These tanks are set to begin trials in 2025, and they represent the first phase of a much larger Indian Army plan to induct up to 350 Zorawars over the coming years.

What makes this announcement stand out is the clear message it sends: India is not waiting around for slow-paced tech development when there are urgent threats on its doorstep. China’s deployment of the Type 15 light tank near the Line of Actual Control pushed India to fast-track the Zorawar project, and now it’s doing the same with protection systems.

Developed by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, the Trophy APS is one of the most combat-tested and reliable protection technologies in the world. Here’s how it works: the system uses radar sensors to scan for incoming threats around the tank. The moment it spots a hostile missile or grenade, it calculates the trajectory in real-time and fires a countermeasure to physically intercept and destroy the threat before it hits.

Unlike traditional tank armour—which can be pierced by modern top-attack weapons or loitering munitions—Trophy creates an invisible but active defensive bubble around the vehicle. This has proven incredibly effective in real-world battlefields, especially in the Middle East. Israeli Merkava tanks fitted with Trophy have survived direct hits that would have otherwise been fatal. The U.S. Army has also deployed Trophy on its M1 Abrams tanks, showing its confidence in the system.

For India, the timing couldn't be more relevant. Lessons from recent conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war have shown how vulnerable even heavily armoured vehicles are to modern guided weapons and drones. The integration of Trophy with the Zorawar is meant to ensure survivability, especially in narrow mountain passes where there’s little room for error or retreat.

While India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also working on its own indigenous APS, those efforts are still in the testing phase and may not be ready until late 2025 or 2026. That’s why the Indian Army has opted for a “buy and build” approach—deploy the Israeli system now, and switch to the homegrown one once it’s ready.

The partnership between Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Rafael, cemented through an MoU signed at Aero India 2025, also includes plans to locally manufacture and customise the Trophy system under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. This could eventually benefit other Indian tanks as well, especially the T-90S Bhishma, which is still reliant on older armour protection.

In short, India’s move to arm the Zorawar tank with the Trophy APS is a calculated, strategic decision. It ensures the Army’s newest tanks will enter service not just with cutting-edge mobility, but also top-tier survivability—a rare but essential combination in modern high-altitude warfare.