Technotreon Develops Indigenous Anti-Skid Tracks for T-72, T-90 Bhishma and BMP Armoured Vehicles

Indian defence technology company Technotreon has developed an indigenous anti-skid track system aimed at improving the mobility of armoured vehicles across snow, ice, mud, loose sand and other difficult terrain, addressing a particularly important challenge faced by mechanised formations operating in India’s high-altitude regions.

The technology originated from an Indian Army requirement for improving the mobility of BMP infantry combat vehicles in high-altitude and glaciated terrain. Technotreon has subsequently developed a broader modular and rubberised anti-skid solution that the company says can support platforms including the BMP, T-72 main battle tank and T-90 Bhishma.

The development adds an unusual but operationally important capability to India’s expanding defence-indigenisation ecosystem. Modernising armoured forces is often associated with improved guns, missiles, sensors and protection systems, but the ability of a heavily armoured vehicle to maintain traction can become equally decisive when operating on frozen roads, snow-covered mountain approaches or loose desert surfaces.

Indian Army Requirement Emerged from High-Altitude Operations

The technological requirement originated under the Defence India Startup Challenge 12, or DISC 12, conducted through Innovations for Defence Excellence.

The Indian Army’s problem statement was titled “Antiskid Tracks for BMP in HAA and Glaciated Terrain.” It reflected the increasing employment of mechanised infantry beyond conventional plains and desert environments into high-altitude areas and mountainous terrain.

BMP infantry combat vehicles normally use metallic tracks that provide high mobility across a variety of battlefield environments. However, extended operation and track wear can reduce friction, while snow and ice create exceptionally low-friction surfaces.

This becomes particularly dangerous while the vehicle is turning or braking. A tracked combat vehicle that begins sliding on an icy gradient can become difficult to control despite possessing a powerful engine and otherwise capable suspension and transmission systems.

The Army consequently sought an anti-skid track solution capable of maintaining effective traction in icy terrain and reducing slipping and skidding.

Designed to Improve Grip Without Major Vehicle Modification

Technotreon’s solution is intended to increase the contact grip between the track and the terrain while retaining the fundamental mobility characteristics of the armoured vehicle.

The company’s BMP Adjustable Anti-Skid Track system is designed for operation across high-altitude, snow-covered and icy environments. According to the developer, the system improves vehicle control during braking, sharp turns and manoeuvres on low-friction surfaces.

A particularly important design objective is retrofit compatibility.

Rather than requiring major structural changes to the BMP, the anti-skid system has been developed so that it can be integrated with existing vehicle configurations. Such an approach can significantly simplify fleet-level adoption because the Army operates large numbers of BMP-series infantry combat vehicles.

For an upgrade intended for an existing fleet, avoiding major changes to the vehicle’s running gear, hull or drivetrain can also reduce installation costs and maintenance complications.

Deployable Spikes for Extreme Terrain

Technotreon has patented a modular anti-skid track system incorporating deployable and interchangeable spikes.

The mechanism is manually actuated and does not require an external electrical power source. This is potentially valuable for battlefield reliability because the traction system does not depend on additional motors, batteries or complicated electronic controls.

Deployable spikes can increase mechanical penetration into surfaces such as packed snow and ice, helping the track generate the grip required to propel, steer and stop the vehicle.

The modular nature of the design also allows individual traction elements to be changed according to operational requirements or replaced following wear.

Technotreon describes the system as suitable for snow, mud, sand and rocky surfaces, expanding its potential relevance beyond the original requirement for glaciated terrain.

From BMP Requirement to T-72 and T-90 Bhishma

Although the original iDEX challenge specifically concerned BMP infantry combat vehicles, Technotreon has subsequently stated that its indigenous rubberised anti-skid track technology can support a wider family of Indian armoured platforms.

The company identifies the T-72, T-90 Bhishma and BMP among the vehicles that could benefit from the technology.

This wider application could be significant because all three platform families form major components of the Indian Army’s mechanised forces.

The T-72 has served as one of India’s principal main battle tanks for decades, while the T-90S Bhishma represents a more modern and heavily upgraded element of the armoured fleet. The BMP-2 and its Indian-produced variants provide mechanised infantry units with protected battlefield mobility.

Creating related traction technologies that can be adapted across several vehicle families could simplify domestic manufacturing and potentially create a common technological base for high-altitude mobility upgrades.

However, the distinction between technical compatibility and formal military induction is important. The Indian Army’s publicly available iDEX requirement specifically identifies the BMP, while the applicability to T-72 and T-90 Bhishma has subsequently been stated by Technotreon. Public confirmation of a large-scale Army procurement for all three platforms has not yet been announced.

Why Tanks Can Struggle on Ice Despite Their Weight

It may appear counterintuitive that a tank weighing several dozen tonnes could suffer from insufficient traction.

Vehicle weight increases the downward force exerted on the surface, but useful movement still depends on sufficient friction or mechanical engagement between the tracks and the ground.

On ice, the coefficient of friction between metal and the surface can fall dramatically. A vehicle may therefore experience track slip when attempting to accelerate, while lateral forces during turning can cause the hull to slide.

Braking poses another problem. Even when the tracks slow or stop rotating, the vehicle itself can continue sliding downhill if sufficient grip is unavailable.

Tracked vehicles are also steered by varying the speed of the tracks on opposite sides. Reduced friction can therefore directly affect their ability to execute controlled turns.

Anti-skid devices seek to overcome this problem by increasing surface engagement rather than simply relying on the friction generated by the standard metal track.

High-Altitude Armour Has Become Increasingly Important

The Indian Army’s requirement reflects the increasing strategic importance of deploying mechanised forces in mountainous regions.

Armoured vehicles were traditionally associated primarily with operations across plains, semi-desert terrain and the large manoeuvre spaces of India’s western front. The changing operational environment has demonstrated the potential requirement for tanks and infantry combat vehicles to operate at substantially higher elevations.

High-altitude deployment introduces a very different set of engineering problems.

Engines can experience reduced performance because of lower oxygen density. Lubricants, fuel systems and batteries must function at extremely low temperatures. Crew heating, cold starting and material durability become more difficult, while roads and tracks can remain covered with snow or ice.

Mobility consequently becomes one of the most important aspects of adapting armoured vehicles for mountain warfare.

A tank with excellent firepower and protection has limited battlefield value if it cannot reliably manoeuvre along frozen approaches or maintain control while negotiating icy slopes.

Mobility Could Be as Important as Firepower

The Technotreon development illustrates a broader principle in armoured warfare: combat effectiveness depends on the combination of firepower, protection and mobility.

Weapons and armour frequently receive the greatest attention, but mobility determines whether a combat vehicle can reach advantageous positions, accompany infantry, exploit breakthroughs or withdraw from an exposed location.

Mechanical immobilisation can render even a fully armed tank combat ineffective.

This becomes particularly important in mountainous terrain where the number of usable routes may already be limited. If snow or ice blocks a critical approach, an entire armoured element could lose its ability to reposition.

Improved traction systems can therefore have an operational effect disproportionate to their apparent technological simplicity.

Useful Beyond Glaciated Terrain

Although the original Indian Army challenge focused on high-altitude and glaciated terrain, Technotreon’s patented design is intended to operate across a broader range of difficult surfaces.

Mud can cause conventional tracks to lose traction when the surface becomes saturated, while loose sand presents its own mobility problems because heavy vehicles can dig themselves into the terrain.

The company says its modular anti-skid system is designed to improve mobility across snow, mud, sand and rocky surfaces.

Such versatility could potentially allow the technology to be used across the Army’s widely differing operational environments, from Himalayan deployments to desert sectors.

A modular approach also creates the possibility of modifying the traction configuration according to the terrain rather than maintaining a single fixed design for every environment.

Indigenous Intellectual Property

Another notable feature of the programme is that the underlying intellectual property is being developed domestically.

Technotreon’s modular anti-skid tracks for armoured combat vehicles are associated with Indian Patent Application No. 202511084183. The company has also disclosed separate design patents covering anti-skid track configurations.

The company describes the project as being executed under OEM rights associated with the iDEX DISC 12 programme.

Domestic ownership of the technology could become important if the system progresses towards larger-scale military use. Indigenous intellectual property gives an Indian developer greater ability to modify the product for different platforms, undertake future improvements and establish local production without remaining dependent upon a foreign original equipment manufacturer.

This aligns with the broader objective of India’s iDEX programme, which seeks to use start-ups, MSMEs and technology companies to solve specific operational challenges presented directly by the Armed Forces.

iDEX Turns Operational Problems Into Indigenous Products

The anti-skid track programme is an example of the increasingly important role being played by the iDEX ecosystem.

Rather than beginning with a company developing a technology and subsequently searching for a military application, iDEX allows the Armed Forces to define an operational problem and invite Indian companies and innovators to propose solutions.

DISC 12 included 41 problem statements submitted by the Armed Forces, Indian Coast Guard, Border Roads Organisation, Armed Forces Medical Services and Defence Public Sector Undertakings.

The anti-skid BMP requirement was one of these challenges.

This approach can be particularly effective for specialised technologies that may not justify a traditional large defence-development programme but could nevertheless solve an important battlefield problem.

Potential Export Market

A successful anti-skid system could also have potential beyond the Indian Army.

T-72, T-90 and BMP-series vehicles are operated by numerous countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Several users operate these platforms in regions where winter conditions, mud or difficult mountainous terrain affect mobility.

If Technotreon’s system can be adapted to existing track assemblies without extensive structural modification, the potential market could extend to international operators seeking relatively low-cost mobility improvements for legacy armoured fleets.

Export potential would depend on successful qualification, reliability testing, military certification and competitive lifecycle costs.

Nevertheless, a modular subsystem such as an anti-skid track assembly may offer Indian defence companies a different export opportunity from attempting to sell complete armoured vehicles.

A Small Component With Significant Battlefield Value

Technotreon’s anti-skid track technology demonstrates that defence indigenisation does not always require the development of an entirely new tank, missile or aircraft.

Relatively specialised engineering improvements can solve operational problems that directly determine whether an existing combat platform performs effectively in demanding environments.

For India’s mechanised forces, improving mobility across snow and ice is particularly relevant as armoured formations become increasingly capable of operating in high-altitude areas.

The Army’s original requirement focused on giving BMP vehicles reliable traction in glaciated terrain. Technotreon has subsequently broadened the concept into an indigenous modular anti-skid system that it says can support BMPs as well as T-72 and T-90 Bhishma tanks.

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