Arjun Mk-2 will be 90% Indigenous

IDRW NEWS NETWORK

ndia’s locally developed Main battle tank which has been heavy criticized for been using high percentage of imported components then the locally developed technologies will see high percentage of local technology in its new avatar Arjun MK-2 which will hit its production by 2014 .

Arjun MK-2 will field locally developed new and improved 1500 hp engine, replacing its German engine which features in the Arjun Mk-1, new variant will also have performance improvement in areas like automatic target locating, tracking and destruction.

DRDO confirms that remaining 10 % of the imported contents will mostly consistent of Hydraulic and electronics systems, like Laser Warning Control System (LWCS) which will be of Israeli origin, DRDO plans to make more improvements in Arjun MK-2 to carry out urban warfare effectively.

Indian army has already raised its first Arjun regiment in 2009and will have first 124 Arjun Mk-1 variant and has already confirmed orders for more 124 Arjun MK-2 and numbers will go up to 500 Arjun MBT till new Main Battle Tank known as Futuristic Main Battle Tank (FMBT) currently under development by DRDO hits production in 2020 .

DRDO has already told media that Arjun MkII tanks will go for summer trials this year and later for winter trials at the end of 2011and DRDO has 93 upgrades lined up for the new tank but first batch of Arjun Mk-2 will get 56 upgrades and later (around 80 MBT) will get all 93 planned upgrades, this has been done to keep the production line running and later first batch will get remaining upgrades too.