Indian Army looses battle against Arjun Tank, but, will there be Arjun Mark-2?
By P. Chacko Joseph | February 7th, 2009 | Category: General Indian Armed Forces News, Indian Army News, Opinions and Articles | 16 comments
Indian Army lost its battle and Arjun Tank will ride into the Indian Army regiments defeating its most hostile evaluators. This is a strange case in which Indian Army the creator of Arjun Tank turned into Frankenstein. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley take note.
Indian Army developed cold feet (again) on the T-90 versus Arjun Tank comparative trials after witnessing the accelerated usage cum reliability trial (AUCRT) of Main Battle Tank Arjun that began in December 2007. Then we saw parliamentary reports by Indian Army on the failure of Arjun Tanks in AUCRT, that was thrashed in media as well as in parliament. To run salt of Indian army ego, DRDO will hand it over in a formal function we may witness in february end or march, when 17 – 18 tanks will be handed over to Indian Army. Atleast 50 Arjun Tanks is expected to be inducted this year.
There might not be Arjun Tank mark – 2 tanks rolling and production may cease after the current order unless there is a miracle. Indian Army had given some observations to DRDO after the AUCRT. Some points were valid on the metallurgy and life of certain parts (it was prepared by the actual evaluators unlike the parliamentary report). DRDO addressed it.
The future Main Battle Tank (FMBT) GSQR and research is shaping up. The new policy of user (Indian Army in this case) has to put its own money in the project, will put some responsibility on the user. In addition we will witness user and the research agency sharing responsibility. There will be involvement of private sector. The question is how many private sector companies will want to work with Indian Army on its projects. Some companies like MRF had lost money on the Arjun Tank Project due to Indian Army attitude. The Pinaka project may be an indicator if Indian Army is worth being associated with.
What is the purpose of this blog. Is it mocking the Arjun or the Army. Clearly there is more than what meets the eye here. Indian Army’s reluctance to use Arjun and reliance on outdated T-90 smells of a deep seated conspiracy and kickbacks from Russians. God help India.
The Army is there to defend India. We should never affect the operational readiness due to political agenda.
The Politicians make short sighted and markedly asanine decisions but we will all pay unless we are protective of our forces.
No one is criticizing the army as such. It’s the criticism of the ones who take decision in the army. Those decisions are shortsighted and favours foreign products even it is the worst product and this goes against national interest. With such an attitude the Indian Army fighting capability will be hit due to the T-90′s which did not provide adequate protection to the crew. Even the gun elevation and depression is lesser than that of the Arjun requiring the T-90 tank to expose itself while firing. The Arjun is the way forward to evolve further designs and with further developments in metallurgy and engine design the size and weight of the tank can be further reduced to get the best tank at that time. That’s called vision which the Army leadership lacks.
How is this even a debatable point?
The Army should be free to make its own evaluations and buy whatever product it deems best for its needs. If indigenous production means lower quality armor then it should not be inducted into the Army.
Simple.
The government can think about perhaps subsidizing DRDO until it makes something worthwhile but in this case the Army does not want Arjun. Do not force them to work with sub-standard equipment.
If it was that simple. This is democracy. We need checks and balances. How can we be sure that army is always right? How can we ensure that they do not have bias in selection? How can we ensure that they do not have vested interests?
other questions are:
How come all Russian equipment gets okayed by Army and have troubles with IAF and IN?
Other considerations:
Is Army capable of promoting national visions like Us, Russia or Israelis have promoted home made weapons. case in point is the russians, let their weapons be sub-standard, they will not buy from others. Same for US. Will US outsource key weapon system like Abrams and F-22? They have used foreign made parts, but, they keep the production of key systems to themselves. Israelis could have easily bought from Americans, then why induct sub-standard merkava in hay days? (now its in mark 4 version and a potent weapon).
In in a armourdered force conference, the Inraeli rep gave an earfull to the Army brass. he said that weapon development is an ongoing process, there is no perfect weapon. This is true for INSAS, it has evolved to be a very good weapon system. Past hiccups are gone.
lastly, how come Indian army lowers standards for foreign weapons?
Corruption is killing India, nothing else. People in army don’t want to induct a too good system “arjun” because of russians.
This is big win for DRDO against all those corrupts who don’t want India to stand like a strong nation.
Ultimately sense has prevailed. The Indian army is opposing Arjun tank not for operational but for idealogical reasons. Most generals still live in the era of British Raj and have contempt for not only DRDO but for all civilians. The Russians have their own axe to grind, no one can blame them when our people sabotage Arjun trials
well i can understand indians have money but why not brains i dont know why they are not successfull to build a tank but yes i know the fact actuly they think that they have money to buy so why should we build our own…
Nouman ahmed,
Who told you that the tank is not successfully made? I think you have an understanding problem.
Even if there are shortcomings, the cause should be found and reasons why it cannot be overcome identified.
It is unscientific for the Army to act as a mere final user who is not to bother with the past or future. Self reliance cannot be acheived without participation of Users in the overall research and development process.
Scientists too are to blame because they have fostered the attitude that reasearch is the sole prerogative of theirs and no one else should have anything to do with it.
This kind of Compartmented thinking is the enemy of progress of knowledge.
One reason is that an Indian always thinks himself too superior to talk to fellow Indians, but the White Man is better than any Indian.
Secondly we are habituated to avoiding rather than facing truth. In reasearch and development we have to face a thousand failures before we find a single success, which is very difficult for us. Indians are always eager to announce success as if their very life depended on it, rather wait for time to prove it.
Indian army is reflection of Indian society, corrupt to the core, and gives a toss about India and instead generals want hefty kickbacks. The disagreement itself suggests that the army officials are biased and splitting hair. They could learn from Russian, who fought with their own poor euipment and improved it over time rather than burdening their nation by hefty overseas buys. When you buy weapons from others you not only pay but also become their hostage, nay slave.
Tehelka shows that whole India civil service, defence staff and political setup is rotten.
Is it then surprising that this sort of patent bias for foreign weapons, which provide ample opportunity for foreign tours, five star hotels and kickbacks, is being displayed so nakedly? These rotters should be court marshalled and kicked from the army.
Dear Hindustani if the German Leopard II A6 is a top MBT and much better than the T90. Than the Arjun must be a verry good tank because it’s almost a copy of this tank. It maby also better because DRDO has proven the elektornics, computers and transnission part. I would challenge anny Fucking indian general in his T90 in a Arjun tank. I would also take it whit the Arjun mk II against the Abraham.
Arjun is a hunter killer MBT like western tanks
[...] Not Ranked : +0 / -0 0 score Re: Arjun MBT to take on T-90 This article is from Feb 2009 , can anyone please calrify if the Arjun is being scrapped from further research and production. I actually though South Asia may be the new defence equipment manufacturer, regardless of whether Indian, Pakistani and I suppose China will fall into the Asia part. ——— Indian Army looses battle against Arjun Tank, but, will there be Arjun Mark-2? | Frontier India Stra… [...]
you bastard indian always thing that you are superior to every one any country specially pakistan but true fact is your people and your army is coward useless you cannot compared your army with pakistan even with chinese army batain sub kar latey agar tum pigs ko yah yaqeen nahi hota k pak army best army hai in the world tou hamein sabit karnay ki zarorat nahi hai humarey log tum pigs say better hain 1965 ki war mein pak air force ne indian air force kay 104 crafts destroy kar diyah thay tum log sirf batoon ka sher ho idiots,bastards,etc…