Defence Ministry orders 118 Arjun Mk-1A for Army worth over Rs 7,500 cr

New Delhi [India], September 24 (ANI): In a big step towards achieving 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', the Ministry of Defence (MoD) placed an order for the supply of 118 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) Arjun Mk-1A worth Rs 7,523 crore for the Indian Army on Thursday.

The Ministry, in an official statement, informed that the order for Arjun Mk-1A has been placed with Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, Chennai.

The order will provide further boost to the 'Make in India' initiative in defence sector, said the Ministry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had handed over the MBT Arjun Mk-1A to Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane in Chennai on February 14 this year.

Terming it as 'state-of-the-art', the Ministry said MBT Mk-1A is a new variant of Arjun Tank designed to enhance firepower, mobility and survivability. Infused with 72 new features and more indigenous content from the Mk-1 variant, the tank would ensure effortless mobility in all terrains, besides precise target engagement during day and night, as per the statement.

The Ministry said that it has been designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) by incorporating numerous upgrades on Arjun MBT, the in-service main battle tank with the Indian Army.

The MK-1A is equipped with accurate and superior firepower, all-terrain mobility and an invincible multi-layered protection provided by an array of advanced technology systems. It can take on the enemy during day and night conditions and in both static and dynamic modes. By virtue of these capabilities, this indigenous MBT proves to be at par with any contemporary in its class across the globe. This tank is particularly configured and designed for Indian conditions and hence it is suitable for deployment to protect the frontiers in an effective manner.

This production order to HVF, Avadi opens up a large avenue in defence manufacturing for over 200 Indian vendors including MSMEs, with employment opportunities to around 8,000 people. This will be a flagship project showcasing the indigenous capability in cutting edge defence technologies.

The MBT Arjun Mk-1A has been designed & developed by Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), along with other laboratories of DRDO within two years (2010-12). The development activities commenced from June 2010 and the tank was fielded for user trials in June 2012. It took only two years to develop and field the MBT Arjun Mk-1A for user trials from the user requirement. The extensive trial evaluation was conducted in various phases covering over 7000 kms (both in DRDO and user trials) of automotive and substantial firing of various ammunitions during 2012-2015. (ANI)