Arjun (tank)
The Arjun is a third generation main battle tank developed by the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, for the Indian Army. The tank is named after Arjuna, the archer prince who is the main protagonist of the Indian epic poem Mahabharata. Design work began in 1986 and was finished in 1996. The Arjun main battle tank entered service with the Indian Army in 2004. The 43rd Armoured Regiment, formed in 2009, was the first regiment to receive the Arjun.
The Arjun features a 120 mm rifled main gun with indigenously developed armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot ammunition, one PKT 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun and a NSVT 12.7 mm machine gun. Powered by a single MTU multi-fuel diesel engine rated at 1,400 hp, it can achieve a maximum speed of and a cross-country speed of. It has a four-man crew: commander, gunner, loader and driver.
In 2010 and 2013, the Indian Army carried out comparative trials in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan, pitting the newly inducted Arjun MK1 against the Indian Army's frontline Russian-designed T-90 tanks, during which the Arjun reportedly exhibited better accuracy and mobility.
The fire-control system originally developed for the Arjun main battle tank has been integrated into the T-90 tanks built in India under a transfer of technology agreement by the Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi.
History
After the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the Government of India decided to develop a new main battle tank. The Indian Army issued a general staff qualitative requirement for a new battle tank, called for a 50 tonne main battle tank equipped with a 120 mm rifled gun, computerised FCS and powered by a 1,400 hp diesel engine. The programme to develop an indigenous tank was authorised in 1974 and funds were released for its development. In 1976, the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment was established under the Defence Research and Development Organisation to undertake the development of the Arjun main battle tank and to carry out research and development on future combat vehicles for the Indian Army.In 1983, the project began following a consultancy agreement with Krauss-Maffei, who had previously developed the Leopard 2, to oversee design, development and evaluation, while Indian state owned Bharat Electronics Limited and HVF were joined with the CVRDE in the development of the Arjun. The original plan envisaged the development and rollout of the first tank prototype by 1980, which was later revised to 1987. The first prototype was delivered in 1989. The prototype tank resembled the Leo2A4 main battle tank of Germany.
From 1993 to 1996, the Indian Army carried out an extensive series of trials, which revealed some major defects in the tank, including the engine overheating and suboptimal performance of the weapons system. By the end of 1996, 14 pre-production series tanks were built and delivered to the Indian Army to conduct trials. Based on these trials, the Army identified 10 shortcomings that needed to be addressed before inaugurating the tank into the service. During this period, the cost of the Arjun programme increased significantly from the 1974 estimate of to a developmental cost of in 1995.
The initial delays and cost escalations were attributed to the sequential revisions done to the original General Staff Qualitative Requirement issued in 1974 to accommodate new features. In 1996, the development of the PPS-15 tank prototype was initiated to address the shortcomings listed by the Army. In 1997, a 'joint action plan' was formulated to address the identified flaws and to make the tank ready for induction. By 1999, both the Army and Cabinet Committee on Security gave clearance for a limited production run of the Arjun main battle tank based on the PPS-15 prototype. In 2000, the Indian Army placed an order for the procurement of 124 Arjun MK1 tanks.
Production and deployment
One Arjun tank operated by the 43rd Armoured Regiment made a public appearance in the 1997 and 2001 Republic Day Parades. The serial production of the Arjun main battle tank began in 2003 at HVF Avadi. The first tank equipped with the BEL developed Integrated Fire Control System, ballistic computer and gunner's main sight, was rolled out in 2004 and delivered in the first batch of five Arjun tanks on 7 August 2004. The first tranche of production version Arjun tanks was delivered to the 43rd Armoured Regiment in 2004. By 2009, two armoured regiments had been equipped with the vehicle. The two regiments with Arjun MBT were 43rd and 75th Armoured Regiment. The first test firing of the LAHAT-launched anti-tank guided missile was carried out in 2004.By 2006, unit maintenance and unit repair vehicles developed for the Arjun-equipped regiments had been cleared for induction. In 2008, a multi-purpose mobile camouflage system, developed as part of the Defensive Aid System project, had been completed successfully. Field evaluation trials were conducted on the Arjun MK1 main battle tank in 2009. In 2009, an advanced laser warning countermeasure system and a fibre-optic gyro-based sensor package unit was developed and integrated on the Arjun MK1 main battle tank after field trials were carried out in two phases from May to August 2009. The first batch of the Armament Research & Development Establishment developed recoil system for the Arjun was delivered to the HVF Avadi after successful completion of field trials in 2009; the total order was for 124 systems.
In 2010, combat simulators developed for the Arjun had been inducted into the Army, its development was authorised in 2009. By June 2011, more than 100 tanks had been delivered to the Indian Army. The delivery of all 124 tanks was completed by mid-2012. From 2013 to 2015, 75% of the Arjun tanks had to be grounded because of a lack of spare parts. By 2016, this problem had been rectified, and the tanks returned to active service.
Upgrades
In 2010, the DRDO proposed an improved variant of the Arjun designated as the Arjun MK2 as a next step in the programme. The configuration of the new variant was finalised in mid-2010 after consultations with the army. The new tank was redesigned to have 89 major and minor improvements intended to enhance the firepower and survivability of the tank. Of these, 73 improvements could be fitted easily on the existing MK1 variant tanks. In the same year, the Indian Army placed an order for the procurement of 124 Arjun MK2 tanks, which was later approved by the Defence Acquisition Council. In 2011, the first MK2 prototype was built. This incorporated some 20 improvements, including a new commander's independent panoramic sight system. The tank was handed over to the army to carry out validation trial phase one. By 2012, the first complete prototype incorporating all the listed improvements was rolled out for system validation trial phase two.As part of the developmental trials, the first phase of the LAHAT gun-launched anti-tank guided missile firing trials were carried out by 2013. In 2015, DRDO developed an Integrated Automotive Vetronics System that was integrated into the Arjun MK2 prototype tank. Field trials were carried out over under harsh environmental conditions. In 2014 and 2016, two new rounds, Penetration-Cum-Blast and Thermobaric, were developed for the Arjun tank and successfully tested. Impact assessments were also carried out with instruments to measure shock and blast pressure.
In the meantime, the Arjun MK2 variant was redesignated as the Arjun Mk1A. By 2018, two Arjun Mk1A prototypes had been built and completed user trials by the end of the year. In May 2023, it's reported that the Mk1A will have 72 new features.
In February 2024, DRDO reported that deliveries of the Mk1A are facing delays because of shortages of tank engines.
In June 2025, BEML entered into an agreement with DRDO's VRDE to manufacture Unit Repair Vehicle, Unit Maintenance Vehicle and Full Trailer for 70T Tank Transporter equipped with an Advanced Hydraulic Suspension System for Arjun MBT.
Design
Armament
Primary
The Arjun main battle tank has a 120 mm rifled gun fitted with an ARDE-developed recoil system, muzzle reference system and fume extractor, which can fire a variety of guided or unguided anti-armour munitions. The main gun is made from high strength electro-slag remelting steel which is insulated with a thermal sleeve and autofrettaged to withstand higher pressure. The newer Arjun Mk1A variant retains the 120 mm rifled gun with improved barrel, although India has developed a 125 mm smoothbore gun for the T-90 tank, which is under license for production.The Arjun MK1 can fire several types of munitions, including indigenously developed armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot and dual purpose high-explosive squash head rounds. The Arjun MK1 can carry a mix of 42 APFSDS and HESH rounds in blast-proof canisters with blow out panels. In 2017, the Mark 2 variant of the APFSDS with a long rod tungsten alloy penetrator was developed and successfully tested by ARDE for the new Alpha variant of the Arjun. The new APFSDS Mark 2 round reportedly has improved penetration compared to the extant Mark 1 round. In addition to the existing rounds, the ARDE also developed and successfully tested two high explosive 120 mm rounds for the Arjun: Penetration Cum Blast and Thermobaric Ammunition for urban warfare, which can be fired from existing MK1 and newer Mk1A tanks.
SAMHO
To enhance the firepower of the Arjun, DRDO earlier considered equipping the tank with a LAHAT gun-launched anti-tank guided missile, but in 2014, it was announced the plan had been dropped. In the same year, DRDO announced the development of an Indian-made, gun-launched guided missile under Cannon Launched Guided Missile Programme, the SAMHO. In 2020, DRDO successfully test fired SAMHO from an Arjun main battle tank.ARDE developed the SAMHO missile in association with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory and the Instruments Research and Development Establishment. The SAMHO guided missile has two high-explosive anti-tank tandem-charge warheads designed to defeat explosive reactive armour protection. The SAMHO is a dual purpose guided missile which can engage and neutralise armoured fighting vehicles, tanks, and low flying targets such as attack helicopters at a minimum range of and maximum range of up to.