Defence Ministry places order for 118 Arjun Mk-1A tanks worth Rs 7,523 crore

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 23

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The Ministry of Defence on Thursday placed an order for supply of 118 tanks of the Arjun Mk-1A for the Indian Army. The order is worth Rs 7,523 crore.

The tanks will be made by the MoD’s Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, Chennai.

The state-of-the-art ‘Arjun Mk-1A’ is the latest variant of original Arjun Tank inducted a decade ago. The new one is designed to enhance fire power, mobility and survivability. It has 72 additional features and will have greater indigenous content.

The tank would ensure effortless mobility in all terrains, besides precise target engagement during day and night. The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has designed the tank by incorporating numerous upgrades on the ‘Arjun’.

The tank will have accurate and superior firepower, an all-terrain mobility and multi-layered protection provided by an array of advanced technology systems.

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, claimed the MoD is a statement.

The Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) and the other laboratories of DRDO fielded the ‘Arjun Mark’ 1A for user trials in June 2012. Extensive trial evaluation was conducted in various phases covering more than 7000 kms.