Last Thursday, it became known that the Ministry of Defense of India ordered 118 Arjun Mk-1A main battle tanks. According to local media, they will be manufactured by the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) in Avadi (Chennai) in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
This is the largest order in recent years, the total amount of the transaction is estimated at more than a billion dollars.
The first information about the possible purchase of such equipment appeared in mid-September of this year. Then the transfer of one of the previously manufactured samples to the army took place. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi was present at the solemn event.
According to the country's defense ministry, the Organization for Defense Research and Development (DRDO) was engaged in the creation of a new modification, as before. In this version, 72 new functions have been added, which significantly affected all its characteristics: increased firepower, mobility and security.
As a result, now the Arjun Mk-1A, according to the Ministry of Defense of the country, is not inferior to other modern combat vehicles available in the world.
This production order, concluded with HVF, allows us to attract more than 200 local suppliers to cooperate and will employ approximately 8000 people.
At the same time, the Indian tank, despite all its advantages, is criticized for its excess weight - 68,000 kg, which significantly limits its combat use.
Alexey Brusilov
