The process of obtaining 118 indigenous Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun Mk-1A by the Army has begun with the official file for procurement moving from Deputy Chief of Army staff to integrated Defence Staff (IDS).
The cost of obtaining the tanks is reported to be ₹8,956.59 crores, as data from Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi suggests.
“The file is currently with the Deputy Chief of Army Staff and will be shortly sent to the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) to put up the case. The case is planned to be fielded before the Defence Procurement Board (DPB) and the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in January 2021,” sources from The Hindu said.
Furthermore, the pending issues over Mk1 ammunitions, spares and repairs had also been resolved and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had set up an Arjun hub in Jaisalmer for spares and support.
Arjun Mk-1A would inherit the missile firing capability once the development was complete but as of now, it is missing that capability.
The Arjun Mk-1A has 14 major upgrades than its predecessor Mk1, which was developed and approved for the army in 2018. Several compliances and validation trials were carried out on the new upgrades. Furthermore, a total of seven meetings between involving various stakeholders were held to resolve all issues with respect to Arjun Mk-1A between October 2019 and July 2020.
