Arjun Tank | Armoured Core | Indian Army | Indian Defence Forces | Tanks
The Arjun is a third generation main battle tank developed by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), for the Indian Army. The tank is named after Arjun, the archer prince who is the main protagonist of the Indian epic Mahabharata.
The Arjun features a 120 mm main rifled gun with indigenously developed armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot ammunition, one PKT 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, and a NSVT 12.7 mm machine gun. It is powered by a single MTU multi-fuel diesel engine rated at 1,400 hp, and can achieve a maximum speed of 67 km/h (42 mph) and a cross-country speed of 40 km/h (25 mph). It has a four-man crew: commander, gunner, loader and driver. Automatic fire detection and suppression and NBC protection systems are included. All-round anti-tank warhead protection by the indigenously-developed Kanchan armour is claimed to be much higher than available in comparable third generation tanks.
Subsequently, delays and other problems in its development from the 1990s to the 2000s prompted the Indian Army to order T-90S tanks from Russia to meet requirements that the Arjun had been expected to fulfill.
In March 2010, the Arjun was pitted against the T-90 in comparative trials for assessing its maneuverability and performed well. On 9 August 2010 The Army showed interest to place an order for 124 Arjun Mk.2 Tanks in addition to 124 Mk.1 ordered earlier. However, in 2012 and 2016 the Indian Army has chosen instead to order 464 new T-90MS tanks for eight tank regiments, increasing the total number of T-90s in Indian service to over 2000 and undermining further procurement of the Arjun.
The Arjun entered service with the Indian Army in 2004. The tanks were first inducted into the 43rd Armoured Regiment, Indian Army Armoured Corps while the latest induction has been into the 75th Armoured Regiment on 12 March 2011.
In 1988–1989 two prototypes underwent automotive trials, which revealed major deficiencies in mobility, engine, and transmission.
The prototypes that underwent extensive mobility and armament trials, in 1996 and 1997 were found to perform below the acceptable standards and deficiencies were listed in the following areas:
- Accuracy of gun at battle ranges
- Mission reliability
- Ammunition lethality
- Containerisation of ammunition bin
- Emergency traverse
- Fire control system unable to function in temperatures above 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit).
In 2008, the Indian Army announced plans to acquire an entirely new main battle tank unrelated to the Arjun, to be inducted after 2020. The Indian Army held an "international seminar on future MBTs", during which the parameters and requirements of this future MBT were identified. As a result, Russia offered to team with India on developing this future tank.
In a testimony to the Indian Parliament in 2008 the Defence Minister said that army had indicated Arjun's performance as satisfactory and they will enter service with 140 Armoured Brigade at Jaisalmer.
A comparative trial was conducted by the Indian Army in March 2010, in which the Arjun was pitted against the T-90. The trial pitted one squadron of Arjuns against an equal number of T-90s. Each squadron was given three tactical tasks; each involved driving across 50 kilometres of desert terrain and then shooting at a set of targets. Each tank had to fire at least ten rounds, stationary and on the move, with each hit being carefully logged. In total, each tank drove 150 km and fired between 30–50 rounds. The trials also checked the tanks' ability to drive through water channels 1.5–1.8 metres deep. A Ministry of Defence press release reported that the Arjun demonstrated excellent 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. It displayed accurate and quick target acquisition capability during day and night in all types of weather and shortest possible reaction time during combat engagements, which is about the same level as Russian T-90, if not better.
Indian Army Armoured Corp has cleared the upgraded Arjun Mk.1A after successful completion of final integration tests conducted on 2019 in Rajasthan. It comes with 72 improvements over Arjun Mk.1 with 14 major upgrades. Arjun Mk.1A is ready to undergo mass production at Heavy Vehicle Factory and is waiting for orders from Indian Army.
Operational history
A 2016 Comptroller and Auditor General of India report said that Arjun tanks have not been operational since 2013 due to a lack of spares.
In 2017 it was reported that the DRDO had received the necessary imported spares to repair the faults that had grounded 75% of the fleet.
Operators
- 124 Mk.1 tanks and 118 Mk.1A tanks in service
- 40 130mm M-46 Catapults based on Arjun Chassis
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