Re: Indian Army unsure about Arjun tank’s role
Indian Army To Conduct Final User Trials of Arjun MBT in June
Close on the heels of their baptism during war games in the Thar desert, the country’s indigenous Arjun battle tanks would undergo final user comparative trials next month, leading to their induction into the Army.
“It is the topmost priority of his Government to operationalise the Arjun tanks,” Defence Minister A K Antony said today said. “There were some defects, which have now been removed,” Antony told reporters on the sidelines of a defence function here.
While admitting that some more problems were there with the tanks, Antony said that 14 Arjun tanks would undergo comparative summer trials against Russia supplied T-90 and upgraded T-72 in the Thar desert next month, prior to their induction. During the recent exercise ‘Ashwamedh’, army had for the first time fielded Arjun tanks in war manoeuvres.
Government has already cleared commercial production of 124 Arjun tanks to equip two armoured regiments. “After their induction, we may consider proposals to manufacture more tanks,” the Defence Minister said.
The Arjun (Mk I) was developed after three decades of identifying requirements, design, evaluation, redesign process involving the DRDO and the Indian Army. Weighing in at 58.5 tons, it is significantly heavier than the Soviet-era T-series tanks used presently by the Indian Army, and requires changes to the army’s logistics establishment. This along with concerns about the imported content and the required changes in production facilities has slowed adoption by the Indian Army.
Armed with a 120 mm rifled gun, it is capable of firing APFSDS (Kinetic Energy) rounds, HE, HEAT, High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) rounds and the Israeli semi-active laser guided LAHAT missile. In addition, it is armed with a 12.7 mm AA machine gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun.
A special prefragmented round is also under development. This shell has a proximity fuse designed to be used against low-flying aircraft, such as attack helicopters. This round could now be supplanted by the LAHAT ATGM which is to be acquired for the Arjuns.
The Fire Control System is stabilised on two axes, and with an extremely high hit probability (design criteria call for a greater than 90% Pk) replaces an earlier analogue one, which had problems due to the extreme conditions during tests. The combined day sight from Bharat Electronics Ltd. and Thermal imager (formerly from Sagem, now reported to be from El-Op) is the gunner’s primary sight. The first batch of tanks of the 124 ordered by the Army, will have an all digital Sagem FCS, whereas the second block will have the BEL unit, which will be used for all units thereafter. The design and development of the BEL IGMS (Indigenous Gunners Main Sight), the name for the local fire control system, is a huge step forward for Indian industry, given its demanding specifications. The commander’s own stabilised panoramic sight, allows him to engage targets and/or hand them over to the gunner. The Arjun was to be supplied by an auxiliary power unit to operate weapon systems in silent watch mode, but space constraints may have led to this requirement being dropped.
The tank incorporates GPS based navigation systems, sophisticated frequency hopping radios. The state-of-the-art Battlefield Management System, developed by DRDO allows it to network with other fighting units. It is protected by a Laser warning system and smoke launchers for counter measures. To further enhance combat survivability, the tank has an auto-fire detection and suppression system. Ammunition is also stowed in watertight containers to reduce the risk of fire.
Arjun has been designed with Western design practices in mind, especially reflected in its crew protection features. With a crew of four, it incorporates heavy composite armour and significant crew protection measures, including ammunition separated from the crew, and blow off panels on the turret bustle, and an integrated fire detection and suppression system. It also incorporates nuclear, biological and chemical protection. Further, Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) panels can be added, though the current Kanchan armour is deemed sufficient for the Arjuns tank-killing role. The turret and glacis are heavily armoured and use “Kanchan” (gold) composite armour. A new honeycomb design Non-explosive and non-energetic reactive armour (NERA) armour is being tested on the Arjun and is reported to be working perfectly. The turret has been designed with the ergonomics of Indian Army troops in mind. The typical crew consists of a Gunner, Commander, Loader and Driver.
The engine and transmission are provided by MTU and Renk respectively. The engine generates 1,400 hp and is integrated with an Indian turbocharger and gearbox. A local transmission is under trials and will ultimately replace the Renk supplied unit. The tracks which were being supplied by Diehl are now being manufactured by L & T, an Indian company. The cooling pack has been designed for desert operations. The Arjun has a lower ground pressure than the lighter T-72, due to its design. The Arjun, despite using a bulkier and older powerplant than comparable western tanks, still boasts a lower silhouette. This was a significant design success for Indian engineers.
The Arjun has a state of the art hydro-pneumatic suspension. This coupled with the Arjun’s excellent stabilisation and fire control system, allows the tank superb first-hit probability. Its ride comfort is highly praised, though on the negative side, it is a more maintenance-intensive and expensive system, even if more capable, than the simpler and cheaper torsion bar system utilized on many tanks worldwide.
The Arjun has a capability to network with other tanks, thanks to its Battle Management System. In a search and engage operation, referred to as the “Wolfpack/Hunter Network”, several Arjun Tanks can monitor an opponent and his moves, and eliminate him in a chase or ambuscade
