Even as the Indian Army was struggling to find a
suitable deployment for the indigenous Main Battle Arjun Mk-I, which at
58 tonnes was heavy for rapid deployment in forward areas, the Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has come up with its Mk-II
version that is heavier by 10 tonnes.
First of the Arjun Mk-I rolling out of the Heavy Vehicle Factory, Avadi
While
the Arjun Mk-II has outperformed the Russian-built T-90s that are the
mainstay of the Indian Army’s mainstay in terms of speed, accuracy and
firepower, its huge weight has constrained its deployment options.
The
Arjun tanks took nearly four decades to materialize. Because of its
weight, a reluctant army placed an order for only 124 units after a
bitter wrangling with the premier military research organization that
was insisting on purchase of at least 500 tanks to make the project
costing the ex-chequer $ 3.5 billion feasible.
The
Army asked the DRDO to improve the tank further and produce Mk-II
version and promised that the force might order more units. But before
embarking on the project, the DRDO asked for an initial order and the
force contracted to acquire 122 Arjun Mk-II, which is expected to cost
approximately Rs. 37 crore per unit.
Now
the sources reveals: “The Army has sought nearly 80 improvements in the
tank. But this has resulted in a significant increase in the weight.
While Arjun Mk-I was 58 tonnes Mk-II is 67 tonnes.”
Even
though the Indian Army had not given any qualitative requirements for
the Arjun Mk-II vis-à-vis the weight of the tank, still at 67 tonnes it
is heaviest of the tanks in the force’s inventory. Presently the
Russian-built T-90s that form the mainstay of the Indian Army’s armoured
thrust weigh a modest 47.5 tonnes.
The
initial comparison between the T-90s and the indigenous Arjun Mk-II has
left the Indian Army officers in dilemma. “The Arjun Mk-II is more
agile, has greater accuracy and has more potent firepower in comparison
to the Russian tanks. But the question is where will the force deploy
the 67 tonne tank?” asks an officer.
The MBT Arjun had earned the moniker of 'Rajpath ka tank' due to the long time of 37 years it took in making
The Indian Army is validating a new
transformation policy that envisages reaching strategic depths of the
enemy’s territory by launching swift armoured offensive, but Arjun Mk-II
does not fit the bill as it cannot cross the border in the western
sector along with Pakistan as they have natural and artificial
obstacles. “The problem with heavier tanks is just not about the
transportation and bridges, we can revamp them. But the real challenge
is that there is a real danger of the tank sinking in the ground due to
its own pressure,” added the officer. The only area where the Army
thinks this indigenous tank can be deployed is the Thar desert.
Presently
the trials of the Arjun Mk-II are undergoing in Pokharan, Rajasthan and the summer trials will be conducted next week. It will be
only 2015 that the tanks will enter into production and till then the
Indian Army has a tough task cut out – to find a suitable role for this
tank.
and you tend to think... "There u go again..."
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