CCS clears Rs. 8,000 crore purchases of BrahMos, tank ammunition

In a bid to address the “critical hollowness” faced by the Indian Army especially in the form of depleting tank ammunition, the Cabinet Committee on Security on Thursday cleared purchase of 10,000 Invar missiles from Russia worth Rs. 2,000 crore along with the acquisition of BrahMos missiles for the Indian Air Force (IAF), valuing around Rs. 6,000 crore. 

A file photo of the Sukhoi fighter jet with BrahMos air version at display at DefExpo-2012

The shortage of tank ammunition was brought to the light in a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by the former Indian Army Chief General VK Singh. The former Army Chief had written that the force was left with only 3-4 days of ammunition in case of an emergency. On Thursday the CCS headed by the Prime Minister cleared the purchase of 10,000 Invar missiles for the Russian-built T-90 tanks at an estimate cost of around Rs. 2,000 crore. 

Under the proposal, the 10,000 Invars will be brought off the shelf from the Russian manufacturers whereas 10,000 more will be licensed-produced by Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) under Transfer of Technology. Invar is fired from the gun barrel of T-90 tanks that are going to be mainstay of the Indian Army’s armoured corps in the years to come.

The CCS also gave its nod for the procurement of the air-version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile that has the capability of hitting within a range of 290 km. The BrahMos acquisition for the IAF also includes funds for retrofitting of the missiles with the Russian-built Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets. The integration of missile – co-developed by India and Russia – will be done by the Indian aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

Presently two Su-30MKI fighter jets are being equipped with the air version of BraMos and the test are scheduled to be conducted by December end.

DRDO’s second version of Arjun tank heavier by 9 tonnes

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.