Arjun MBT MK-1A

• 16 Feb 2021

Why in News

Recently, the Prime Minister of India has handed over the indigenously developed Arjun Main Battle Tank (MBT) MK-1A to the Indian Army.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • Launch: The Arjun MBT Project was initiated by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 1972 with the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) as its lead laboratory.
  • Objective: To create a “state-of-the-art tank with superior fire power, high mobility, and excellent protection".
• Features of the Arjun Tank:
  
  • The Arjun MBT is equipped with an indigenously developed 120mm main rifled gun with Fin Stabilised Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS) ammunition.
    
    • FSAPDS is capable of destroying all known tank armour up to direct shooting range.
  • It also has a computer-controlled integrated fire control system with stabilised sighting that works in all lighting conditions.
  • The secondary weapons include a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun for anti-personnel and a 12.7-mm machine gun for anti-aircraft and ground targets.
• Mk1A and MkII:
  
  • The development of Arjun Mk1 was followed by improved variants - Mk1A and MkII.
  • Arjun Mk1A, which features improved firepower and transmission systems, completed the final integration tests in 2019 and was cleared for production.
  • The Arjun MkII variant is a light-weight Futuristic Main Battle Tank (FMBT) with electro-optical sensors and high-power lasers.
• Features of Mk-1A:
  
  • The Mk-1A version has 14 major upgrades on the earlier version. It is also supposed to have missile firing capability as per the design.
  • However, the biggest achievement with the latest version is 54.3% indeginous content against the 41% in the earlier model.
  • The newly developed Kanchan modular composite armour gives all-round protection to the tank from anti-tank ammunition.
    
    • Kanchan has been manufactured by Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) - a DRDO Laboratory.

Defence Research and Development Organisation

• DRDO works to establish a world class science and technology base for India and provides India’s Defence Services decisive edge by equipping them with internationally competitive systems and solutions.
• DRDO was established in 1958 after combining Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development & Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation (DSO).
• DRDO works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.

Source: IE