Arjun MBT (Main Battle Tank) of Indian Army

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Hello Folks, I hope you are applying every inch of hard work and effort to earn the prestigious uniform of the Indian Armed Forces. In this appreciable blog, I am going to profile one of the elite main battle tanks of the Indian Army i.e. ARJUN MBT

Interesting Features of the Arjun MBT:

CREW

Four (Commander, Gunner, Loader and Driver)

OVERALL LENGTH WITH GUN FORWARD

10.64 m

OVERALL HEIGHT WITH GUN BACK

9.55 m

OVERALL HEIGHT WITH AD GUN MOUNT

3.03m (Turret Roof: 2.32 m)

OVERALL WIDTH

3.864 m

COMBAT WEIGHT

58.5 t

MAXIMUM SPEED

70 km/h

• The Arjun Main Battle Tank (MBT), named after the warrior prince Arjuna in the Indian epic Mahabharata, was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Army.
• It has been developed under a multi-laboratory programme of DRDO mainly at the Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE).

Orders and Deliveries of the Arjun MBT:

• The Indian Army placed an initial order for 124 tanks in March 2000. 
• The first batch of 05 tanks was delivered in August 2004 and a total of 124 tanks was delivered by 2011.
• In March and April 2010, the comparative trials on manoeuvrability of the Arjun MBT and the Russian T-90 tank in Rajasthan deserts resulted in a better performance from the Arjun tank. 
• The Indian Army subsequently ordered another 124 advanced tanks in May 2010, this time mkII.
• The Arjun Mk II variant is a light-weight Futuristic Main Battle Tank (FMBT) with electro-optical sensors and high-power lasers. 
• It is being developed by DRDO with a total of 93 upgrades, as per the requirements of the Indian Army.
• BEL unveiled a new weapon control system for the 12.7 mm gun of the Arjun mkII tank, at Aero India 2017.
• The mkII is expected to be the potential contender for the replacement of changing Army’s Russian T-72 fleet of 2,400 tanks.
• In 2009, the Colombian Army expressed its interest to buy Arjun to fulfil its immediate requirement of ten tanks, with a further requirement of 100 tanks over five years.

Design and Armament of the Arjun MBT:

• The development of the Arjun MBT began in March 1974 and heavily depends on foreign technology and equipment. 
• The 25% and 30% of the tank components including engine, transmission, gun barrel, tracks and fire control system are imported from the Commonwealth countries.
• The Arjun MBT is equipped with an indigenously developed 120 mm main rifled gun with Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS) and High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) ammunition. 
• An anti-personnel 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun is fitted alongside the main gun and a 12.7 mm machine gun is fitted at the top of the turret to aim aircraft and ground targets. 
• An anti-helicopter round is also being developed to combat air threat to armour.
• The tank has special containers to carry 39 projectiles of 120 mm ammunition, which keep the ammunition away from the crew, providing an additional level of survivability. 
• The rear-side faces of the turret are fitted with up to 12 smoke grenade dischargers and the weapon systems can be operated in silent watch mode using an auxiliary power unit.

Fire Control and Observation Technology of the Arjun MBT:

• The Arjun is equipped with a computer-controlled integrated fire control system with a laser range finder.
• The system was jointly developed by BEL and IRDE with the day/night stabilised sighting system incorporated in the system. 
• The targets are hit with first-round-hit probability and reduced reaction time. 
• The system is capable of acquiring targets under all weather conditions, and the stabilisation system allows the main armament to accurately fire at targets on the move.
• The gunner’s main sight includes a day sight, a thermal sight, a laser range finder and a stabilised head. 
• The gunner and the commander can locate targets in total darkness and amid smoke, fog, snow, haze and dust. 
• The targets can be found accurately with the laser range finder integrated on the main sight.
• The panoramic sight allows commanders to have all-round surveillance on the battlefield without being disturbed by turret motion. 
• The two axes rate gyro-mounted on the platform of the head mirror stabilise the view of the field, offering dual magnification.

Engine and Performance of the Arjun MBT:

• The battlefield management system of the tank has been developed by the DRDO and Ebit Israel.
• The system connects the tank to other fighting units in the battle field and is equipped with GPS-based navigation systems.
• The Arjun is powered by a single MTU 838 KA 501 ten-cylinder diesel engine rated at 1,400 HP. 
• The engine can provide a maximum speed of 70 km/h and a cross-country speed of 40 km/h. 
• A new 1,500 HP engine is under development to replace the existing engine of the main battle tank.
• The high power-to-weight ratio and low specific ground pressure provide fast, high-manoeuvrability and mobility across difficult terrains.
• The Low-fuel consumption and fuel storage capacity of the tank optimises the operational range. 
• The inside compartment is designed to provide high levels of comfort to the crew working over long periods. 
• The tank also features hydro-pneumatic suspension and effective transmission system making it one of the elite main battle tanks of the Indian Army.

I hope the article was helpful for all the defence aspirants, if you have any doubt at all or you want to suggest anything then please leave a comment to help you in least possible time!!

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