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The Army had earlier contracted for 124 Arjun
tanks, built by the premier military research
organization Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
“The Army has decided to place fresh order
for an additional 124 Arjuns. This is over and
above the existing order of 124 tanks. The development
follows the success of the indigenous MBT Arjun
in the recent gruelling desert trials,” defence
spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said.
The 60-tonne tank is built at the Heavy Vehicles
Factory (HVF) in Avadi, near Chennai that has
the capability of producing 50 Arjuns annually.
The decision to order more Arjun tanks comes
days after the government in May 2010 decided
to go for the second generation Arjun.
This add-on order could be considered as "the
final verdict on a platform" that has been
36 years in the making and which has cost the
exchequer Rs.3.5 billion ($71.7 million). The
project for the design and development of the
MBT Arjun was approved by the Government in 1974
with an aim to give the required indigenous cutting
edge to the Mechanised Forces.
“After many years of trial and tribulation
it has now proved its worth by its superb performance
under various circumstances, such as driving cross-country
over rugged sand dunes, detecting, observing and
quickly engaging targets, accurately hitting targets
– both stationary and moving, with pin pointed
accuracy.
“Its superior fire-power is based on accurate
and quick target acquisition capability during
day and night in all types of weather and shortest
possible reaction time during combat engagements,”
Kar added.
One regiment of the Arjun tanks (comprising 45
tanks), already being inducted in the Army, were
assessed against the T-90s in a month long trials
conducted at Mahajan Range in Rajasthan beginning
March 1.
Sources present at the site of the trials told
India Strategic “the tank
outgunned the T-90s by 30 percent in nearly hundred
parameters compared by the user (the Army).”
Experts from mechanised forces and officials
from the DRDO witnessed the comparative trials.
The DRDO had handed over 16 tanks to the Indian
Army last year, completing one regiment of 45
tanks. The regiment was then subjected to conversion
training and field practice.
The DRDO’s demand for the comparative trials
of the two tanks was being seen as a last-ditch
bid to save the Arjun as some 500 tanks would
need to be acquired by the army to make the project
feasible.
The army, however, made it clear that it will
buy no more than the 124 Arjuns it has contracted
for because it was unhappy with the tank on various
counts, particulalrly its heavy weight. This apart,
the army says the Arjun can at best remain in
service for five to 10 years while it is looking
20 years ahead and needs a futuristic MBT.
The army’s stand has been contrary to a
third-party assessment by an internationally reputed
tank manufacturer.
A DRDO official said: “As suggested by the
army, Arjun tanks were subjected to rigorous trials
and assessment in a third-party audit. After the
extensive evaluation, the auditor confirmed that
Arjun is an excellent tank with very good mobility
and firepower characteristics suitable for Indian
deserts.”
“They (the auditor) also gave inputs on
production procedures for further enhancing the
performance of Arjun tanks. DRDO will be incorporating
all these inputs before the next lot of 62 tanks
is handed over to army by March 2010,” the
official added.
The Indian Army laid down its qualitative requirement
for the Arjun in 1972. In 1982, it was announced
that the prototype was ready for field trials.
However, the tank was publicly unveiled for the
first time only in 1995.
Arjun was originally meant to be a 40-tonne tank
with a 105 mm gun. It has now grown to a 60-tonne
tank with a 120 mm gun. The tank was meant to
supplement and eventually replace the Soviet-era
T-72 MBT that was first inducted in the early
1980s.
However, delays in the Arjun project and Pakistan’s
decision to purchase the T-80 from Ukraine, prompted
India to order 310 T-90s, an upgraded version
of the T-72, in 2001.
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