Indian Army Inducts Refurbished WZT-3 Armoured Recovery Vehicles

The Indian Army's Kharga Corps has formally inducted three refurbished WZT-3 Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARVs), marking a significant enhancement to the force's battlefield recovery capabilities under the Western Command.

The vehicles were restored by Airbonics Defence & Space Pvt Ltd (ADSL), a subsidiary of the JCBL Group, through the Other Capital Procurement Procedure for the Black Arrow Brigade. The refurbishment project was completed within seven months under demanding circumstances.

ADSL technicians worked through Operation Sindoor amid threats from drone and aerial attacks to ensure full operational readiness. The restoration process involved complete disassembly, repair, and reassembly of the vehicles' utility systems.

Major components addressed in the refurbishment included hydraulic systems, winches, cranes, side gear boxes, intermediate gear boxes, and bulldozer assemblies. The complete electrical wire harness for the utility portion was also replaced. All vehicles successfully passed rigorous Acceptance Test Procedures before induction.

The induction ceremony was attended by Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar AVSM, VSM, GOC-in-C 2 Corps, alongside Brig Surjeet Singh Tanwar, Commander of the Black Arrow Independent Armoured Brigade, and Col Arjun Jayadev, Commanding Officer of the Black Arrow Eagles. ADSL was represented by Director and CEO Raj Kumar Pandey and COO Col Rajwinder Singh (Retd).

Lt Gen Pushkar commended the JCBL Group and ADSL team for their professionalism and coordination as an industry partner. He also recognized the Black Arrow Eagles personnel for maintaining high equipment availability standards.

Rishi Aggarwal, Managing Director of JCBL Group, expressed pride in the partnership with Indian Defence Forces across multiple projects, stating that the Army's confidence motivates continued enhancement of defence readiness support.

The JCBL Group recently signed India's first defence memorandum of understanding with Slovakia for co-developing next-generation combat vehicle technologies. The Indian Army also achieved a milestone earlier this year by rolling out its first overhauled VT-72B ARV from the 512 Army Base Workshop in Pune, with ADSL as the sole industry partner.

ADSL specializes in defence and aerospace systems, including design, manufacturing, servicing, and upgrades across four verticals: Aerospace, Land Systems, Combat Vehicle Technology, and MRO & Sustenance. The company holds multiple certifications including ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, and AS 9100D for Aerospace QMS.

The JCBL Group, established in 1989, operates as a $206.02 million conglomerate with presence across mobility applications, defence and aerospace, railway and bus components, agriculture, finance, and international business sectors.