India is a powerful nation, no one can deny that, and to set it higher for the rest of the world and make the defense more strong, India will receive 118 new Arjun Mk-1A tanks.
On September 23 2021, the government of India successfully placed the order for the new tanks. The tanks will be manufactured at the government’s Heavy Vehicles Factory located in Chennai. These 118 Arjun Mk-1A tanks will cost approx. Rs 7,523 crore. The tanks hold multi-layer protection, and that too with the advanced technology, these 118 tanks will now be available with more new features for safety.
The Defence Research and Development Organization is developing the Arjun Mk-1A battle tank. The battle tank is well equipped with superior and accurate firepower; it also has advanced multi-layer and all-terrain protection compared to the older model of the tank. For the last 15 years, the Arjun Mk-1A battle tank has been a center of focus in the Indian Army. As per the government, it will be a new variant of the Main Battle Tank and will have 72 more advanced features compared to the old one, that is, Mk-1.
On February 14 in Chennai, the MBT Arjun Mk-1A prototype was handed over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Army Chief General MM Naravane. According to the reports, the new variant has been designed to get better firepower, survivability, and mobility. The tanks will have more indigenous content from the old version. The new variant will ensure effortless mobility in all aspects and provide more precise target engagement both day and night. The tanks will also be advanced in the area of night vision.
The Arjun Mk-1A battle tank can face the enemy during both day and night in any condition in both static and dynamic modes as it will be enhanced. The tank has been designed specially by keeping the Indian conditions in mind, which makes it the most suitable weapon for deployment, which will protect the frontiers more effectively.
The Indian government always tries to get more of the advanced technologies to support the nation’s defense, but now as our Prime Minister has started a new program called the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” which has encouraged to get everything made in India and people should support this cause. The tank designing and manufacturing is a great initiative for the Aatmanirbhar Bharat project.
According to the reports, the first five tanks will be delivered within the next 30 months, and then it will be 30 tanks every year. At present, the Indian Army has T-90, T-72, and Arjun Mk-1 tanks in the tank fleet. Many experts have raised the concern about the weight of the Arjun Mk-1A battle tank as it weighs around 68 tons and is being considered to be bulky, and it could limit the Army’s deployment options. According to the government, the production of the tank will also bring employment opportunities for over 200 Indian vendors, and around 8,000 people will get employment. This project will showcase the indigenous capability in the field of defense technology.
It took a period time of 2 years, from 2010 to 2012, by the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) with few other laboratories of DRDO to design and develop the MBT Arjun Mk-1A. The tank has been named after the Arjuna from Mahabharat. The tank will benefit the Indian Army and will act as the main player in the required situation. India is developing at a very good speed. This new addition in the tank fleet will create more impact on the enemies as everyone knows that India has changed, and it can do anything to maintain the nation’s security and the honor of the Indian flag.
