Subsequently the Article says

“The head of the Pune-based Southern Command, Lieutenant General N Thamburaj, strongly backs the Arjun. On a visit to the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan to watch his troops exercising, Lt Gen Thamburaj noticed the Arjun firing nearby.

After walking across, he was invited by the DRDO team to drive and fire the tank. Half an hour later, the general was an Arjun backer; two holes in the target he aimed at testified that a soldier without previous experience operating tanks could get into the Arjun and use it effectively.

Business Standard has evidence of many more such incidents. On June 29, 2006, the commander of the elite 31 Armoured Division, Major General BS Grewal, visited the Mahajan Ranges along with a colleague, Major General Shiv Jaswal. Both drove and fired the Arjun for the first time that day; the two rounds that each fired punched holes through targets almost two kilometres away (see picture).

That same month, 43 Armoured Regiment, which is the first army tank unit equipped with the Arjun, pronounced itself delighted with the Arjun’s firing performance. After firing trials in summer 2006, 43 Armoured Regiment endorsed: “The accuracy and consistency of the Arjun have been proved beyond doubt.”

But the establishment was quick to strike back. Barely three months after that report, the commanding officer of 43 Armoured Regiment, Colonel D Thakur, was confronted by the then Director General of Mechanised Forces, Lt Gen DS Shekhawat. Eyewitnesses describe how he was upbraided for “not conducting the trials properly”. But in a career-threatening display of professional integrity, Colonel Thakur’s brigade commander, Brigadier Chandra Mukesh, intervened to insist that the trials had been conducted correctly.

In a series of interviews with the army, including the present Director General of Mechanised Forces, Lt Gen D Bhardwaj, and with the MoD top brass, Business Standard has learned that opposition to the Arjun remains deeply entrenched. This despite the soldiers of 43 Armoured Regiment declaring that if it came to war, they would like to be in an Arjun.

Minister of State for Defence Production, Rao Inderjeet Singh recounts: “I’ve spoken, off the record, to officers who have gone through the trials. Even the crews (from 43 Armoured Regiment)… who have been testing the tank… I forced them to choose between the Russian tanks and the Arjun.

I said, you’ve driven this tank and you’ve driven that tank (the T-90). Now mark them out of ten, which tank is better? And I’ve found that the Arjun tank was given more numbers than the T-90 tank.”

With new confidence, the Arjun’s developer, the Central Vehicles R&D Establishment (CVRDE), is arguing strongly for “comparative trials”, in which the Arjun would be pitted head-to-head, in identical conditions, with the army’s T-90 and T-72 tanks. But the DGMF continues to resist any such face-off. “

you never understood my statements.Very sad indeed that the discussion had to reach this stage but since you started with accusation its only fitting that a dustbin like you get what you deserve.I must say its better you did not ram you self into T-90.

Grow up Mr Banjara, this is a discussion board not a street fight we are here to discuss not accuse.

All I wanted to Know was, how many IIT’s are there in the Army. And I ram into a full fledged Idiot.

I was not aware with these you get “whimp” freebies like Zero Knowledge the great Mr Banjar.

Get a life.

You have zero knowledge i repeat zero knowlege.

That means you know it. What I asked was “I would actually like to know the numbers.”

You are lying.

Now, what has North East got to do with it?

You haven’t teold me how will a infantry officer turned General know about fighting an Armor battle?

Your claim ” continously courses run by army to sychronise both the arms so that they do not falter in combat roles. ” Back it Up!

I am reading your statements and then replying. Its you who are pulling sentences from no where and then not backing up!

I am shocked you have no idea what varientong is North east india is all about else you would have not asked me proof n stuff.Do know anything about it?

And on what basis are you making a claim of the knowledge on Army chiefs?how are you judging their lack of knowledge?

Get you facts right and then enter into a debate.