India’s home-built Arjun tank has emerged a conclusive winner from its showdown with the Russian T-90. A week of comparative trials, conducted by the army at the Mahajan Ranges, near Bikaner in Rajasthan, has ended; the results are still officially secret. But, Business Standard has learned from multiple sources who were involved in the trials that the Arjun tank has outperformed the T-90 on every crucial parameter.
The trial pitted one squadron (14 tanks) of Arjuns against an equal number of T-90s. Each squadron was given three tactical tasks; each involved driving across 50 kilometres of desert terrain and then shooting at a set of targets. Each tank had to fire at least 10 rounds, stationary and on the move, with each hit being carefully logged. In total, each tank drove 150 kilometres and fired between 30-50 rounds. The trials also checked the tanks’ ability to drive through a water channel 5-6 feet deep.
The Arjun tanks, the observers all agreed, performed superbly. Whether driving cross-country over rugged sand-dunes; detecting, observing and quickly engaging targets; or accurately hitting targets, both stationery and moving, with pinpoint gunnery; the Arjun demonstrated a clear superiority over the vaunted T-90.
“The Arjun could have performed even better, had it been operated by experienced crewmen”, says an officer who has worked on the Arjun. “As the army’s tank regiments gather experience on the Arjun, they will learn to exploit its capabilities.” With the trial report still being compiled — it is expected to reach Army Headquarters after a fortnight — neither the army, nor the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO), which developed the Arjun tank in Chennai at the Central Vehicles R&D Establishment (CVRDE), are willing to comment officially about the trials.
The importance of this comparative trial can be gauged from a list of those who attended. Witnessing the Arjun in action were most of the army’s senior tank generals, including the Director General of Mechanised Forces, Lt Gen D Bhardwaj; strike corps commander, Lt Gen Anil Chait; Army Commander South, Lt Gen Pradeep Khanna; and Deputy Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen JP Singh. The Director General of Military Operations, Lt Gen AS Sekhon also attended the trials.
Over the last four months, the army had systematically signalled that it did not want to buy more Arjuns. The message from senior officers was — 124 Arjun tanks have been bought already; no more would be ordered for the army’s fleet of 4000 tanks. The comparative trial, or so went the message, was merely to evaluate what operational role could be given to the army’s handful of Arjuns.
“The senior officers who attended the trials were taken aback by the Arjun’s strong performance,” an officer who was present through the trials frankly stated. “But they were also pleased that the Arjun had finally come of age.”
The army’s Directorate General of Mechanised Forces (DGMF), which has bitterly opposed buying more Arjuns, will now find it difficult to sustain that opposition. In keeping out the Arjun, the DGMF has opted to retain the already obsolescent T-72 tank in service for another two decades, spending thousands of crores in upgrading its vintage systems.
Now, confronted with the Arjun’s demonstrated capability, the army will face growing pressure to order more Arjuns.
The current order of 124 Arjuns is equipping the army’s 140 Armoured Brigade in Jaisalmer. With that order almost completed, the Arjun production line at the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) in Avadi, near Chennai, needs more orders urgently. The Rs 50 crore facility can churn out 50 Arjuns annually. That would allow for the addition of close to one Arjun regiment each year (a regiment is authorised 62 tanks).
Tank experts point out that conducting trials only in Mahajan does not square with the army’s assertion that they are evaluating a role for the Arjun. Says Major General HM Singh, who oversaw the Arjun’s development for decades, “If they were evaluating where the Arjun should be deployed, they should have conducted the trials in different types of terrain: desert, semi-desert, plains and riverine. It seems as if the army has already decided to employ the Arjun in the desert.”
The Arjun’s sterling performance in the desert raises another far-reaching question: should the Arjun — with its proven mobility, firepower and armour protection — be restricted to a defensive role or should it equip the army’s strike corps for performing a tank’s most devastating (and glamorous) role: attacking deep into enemy territory during war? Each strike corps has 8-9 tank regiments. If the army recommends the Arjun for a strike role, that would mean an additional order of about 500 Arjuns.
But Business Standard has learned that senior officers are hesitant to induct the Arjun into strike corps. Sources say the Arjun will be kept out of strike formations on the grounds that it is incompatible with other strike corps equipment, e.g. assault bridges that cannot bear the 60-tonne weight of the Arjun.
I really don't know whether we will ever combat on sands ever. Our main enemy on open battlefields is Pakistan and they too have no stomach to face the Indian Juggernaut on open battlefields. China will never be able to war against the might of Indian Armor. The only thing I see for Arjun is that it is a deterrent that's all.
Isn't it strange , these tank generals and defence ministry bought T90 tanks which even Russian army is not ordering for their defence needs.After these results, they shd go 4 Arjun MKII and place an order for strike corps and defence both.Lets c what excuse they give , if they r still reluctant to go for Arjun MKII.
Bwahahahaha... With all my respect.. Modern heavy machinery building isnt like "we ve decided to build some tank, yuppeee". Without expertise, without experience - it is impossible. Thousands of details, design of every single has enchanced, evolved and perfected through years and decades, and proved itself in a real army within hundreds of produced machines, in wars. India has to build hundred of Arjuns, then let it run for pair of years in the deserts, then realise, that the half of all details needs improvements. Then repeat whole proccess 4-5 times, and maybe India will make the tank, which could rival abrams, t-90, leopard and other modern tanks.
Though it had initial teething troubles, it is good that the indigenously built Arjun MBT, has finally become a world-class force to reckon with, and this is indeed a milestone achieved by the country's scientists and engineers , and a morale-booster for the nation.
As the saying goes," Slow and steady wins the race."
The indigenous naval destroyers, nuclear submarine and aircraft carrier are other recent feathers in DRDO'S cap.
The comparative results donot come too much as a surprise,what is surprising is the tests actually taking place inspite of the DGMF &DGMO's thwarting efforts,for letting the cat out of the bag by delaying the tests time & again.The tests probably proves (going by the article) which is a better tank.
Though it is a big step for Arjun to shutt their mouth, but it will have no affect on the bulging coffers of DGMF & DGMO's deep shitty pockets, as they will find readymade alibis for keeping Arjun at bay in favour of their dear Russian t90,t72....(as indicated in the article) which are enormous cash cows for them.
it is sweet news came after a lot of wait although i was confident about it,now a lot has been delivered by DRDO.achievments are
1.pinaka
2.mbt arjun
3.atgm NAG
4.sam akash
5.srbm pritvi
6.srbm agni1
7.irbm agni2
8.irbm agni3
9.INSAS
10.cruise BRAHMOSE
and many more
but following in waiting list
1.AAD/PAD
2.LCA
3.AGNI 5
4.K-15
5.AWACS
etc
Now Russia has to invite all those superior Arjuns with Indian crews to Russian testing range and compare them with T-90s crewed by Russians. So far this doesn't pass the smell test.
Posted by: Evrepid
March 26 , 2010, 14:32 IST
More smile...
"Arjun outruns and outguns T-90"
T-90 fight with Leopard 2, and Abrams... And Arjun win (probably) it's all... More smile, well joke...
Russian T-90 powerful, very very strong, fast and reliable, today perhaps the best tank in the world, about the Arjun is impossible to say. We Arjun a lot of problems in real combat Arjun loses even obsolete T-72, the Pakistani T-80 and Chinese Type 99 and the more modern T-90, Mk IV. Want real results on the ten ten Arjun against the T-90, do you think tanks will no more?
Posted by: ThinkTank
March 27 , 2010, 00:56 IST
Oh yeah, fanboy. Arjun cannot be even compared to Camel coz Camel can pee and Arjun can't lolz :P
The comparitive trials were done by an Army that clearly favored T-90 over Arjun. It is high time Indians start believing in their abilities.
Good news if true. Am no expert on tanks but I know a few things about Ordinance Factories--guys who make tanks and guns and such stuff. My dad worked there. The good and honest guys are all gone--retired. Now we have people who will buy components from anybody or everybody as long as they get their cut. I know sombody who was procuring a critical component for machine gun from fake company set up by his son! As a result, they often do a pretty shoddy job of manufacturing. Could be the reason why army is jittery. In fact, it would help if Ajay could start reporting on the functioning of these organization as it is important component of foreign versus Indian debate. These buggers really need to be brought under media scanner.
Arjun's rumored "victory" over the T-90 is a PR stunt. Even if the results were not doctored (and that's a mighty big "if"), the test was skewed to favor the boxy monstrosity Indians call a modern tank. The Indian tank has been in development for nearly 35 years. The day it entered service, Arjun was already outdated. India has no experience or any relevant background developing tanks. They would have us believe that after three decades behind the drawing board their very first tank is a miracle.
Posted by: Rajesh
March 27 , 2010, 00:21 IST
For all of you... Arjun Tank was developed within 10years... but it was the Army GSQR which kept changing.... and shifting goal posts.... I think Arjun will go as the most advanced Tank which was little used... and tested more... and we never tested T90 and believed it works well... What a shame...
Posted by: Ranveer
March 26 , 2010, 02:42 IST
Corrupt Babus in MoD will find a good reason to pretend that tests were failure and kill Arjun.
For every T-90 tank imported, babus get 20Lakh rupees commission.
Posted by: master
March 26 , 2010, 02:02 IST
i think mr. venik is having a prejudice about india.how much russians were knowing and expert when t-34 came out.which performed exceptionally well.the concepts are given by cristy for t-34 full suspension and armour was designed by cristy.
If this news about the Arjun's performance is correct,why is it that "The senior officers who attended the trials were taken aback by the Arjun's strong performance,".Did the Army not learn anything about the Arjun from it's induction into the 140th Armoured Brigade?Is the Indian Govt. forcing the Arjun down the Army's throat?Why is the Army not that enthusiastic about the Arjun?Something doesn't smell right here.
ajai ji,
welcome with the report. we are waiting for your description.you are one who is having open eyes in this blind country ,blind due to what.....
IPL/Bollywood.
arise awake ! and don.t stop upto your final destination i.e.
turn moil chinees pride
now hunt for artilery systems,which are key ingeredients for mountain war -fair.
It appears that Mr. Shukla has a very strong opinions on the Arjun. It wasn't clear to me that he's entitled to spout an opinion as a journalist. Isn't he supposed to just report the facts? If that's too hard for him, perhaps he could be given a spot on the Opinion page. Or, alternately, perhaps he should be made Chief of Army Staff since he appears to know so much more than the incumbent Chief about how to run the service.
Posted by: Ravi
March 26 , 2010, 19:23 IST
Mr Shukla is not just a journalist. He is an ex-Army Colonal and a Tank man. He is run, fired, commanded Indian tanks. So he knows what is talking about.
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