Arjun ( tank ) Arjun ( Sanskrit : अर्जुन ) is a main battle tank developed by India ' s largest defense contractor , the Defence Research and Development Organization ( DRDO ) , for the Indian Army . The tank is named after " Arjun " , one of the main characters of the Indian epic poem , " the Mahabharata " . The delays and failures in its development from the 1990s to the 2000s prompted the Indian Army to order vast numbers of T - 90 S tanks from Russia to meet the defense needs that the Arjun had been expected to fulfill . The Arjun features a 120 mm main rifled gun with indigenously developed APFSDS ammunition which has capability of defeating superior armor , one 7 . 62 mm coaxial machine gun , and a 12 . 7 mm machine gun . It is powered by a single MTU multi - fuel diesel engine rated at 1 , 400 hp , and can achieve a maximum speed of and a cross - country speed of . It has a 4 - man crew : commander , gunner , loader and driver . Automatic fire detection and suppression , and NBC protection systems are provided . All - round anti - tank warhead protection by the newly developed Kanchan armour is claimed to be much higher than available in present third generation tanks . In March 2010 , the Arjun was pitted against the T - 90 in comparative trials and performed well . Subsequently the Army placed an order for an additional 124 tanks on May 17 , 2010 . History . Initial plans and development . Defence Research and Development Organization ( DRDO ) , with Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment ( CVRDE ) as the main laboratory , was tasked with developing the hull , armor , turret , running gear and gun , with the powerpack being bought from abroad . Although the development of the tank began in 1972 by the CVRDE , it was only in 1996 that the Indian government decided to mass - produce the tank at DRDO ' s facility in Avadi . Despite DRDO ' s attempts at indigenization , the Arjun relied heavily on foreign components and technology . DRDO received major design assistance from Krauss Maffei , the developer of the German Leopard 2 tank , and several other German firms . As a result , Arjun ' s design is very similar to that of Leopard 2A4 tank . Initially close to 50 % of the tank ' s components were imported , which included the engine , transmission , gun barrel , tracks , and fire control system however , several of these have since been replaced by indigenous systems or are being supplied by Indian companies . Recent reports from India indicate that the Russian T - 90S will form the mainstay of its future force , despite that tank ’ s performance issues in hot weather . The Arjun project has experienced serious budget overruns and repeated delays that resulted in a protracted development time of more than 37 years . While the government sanctioned Rs . 15 . 5 Crore ( US $ 3 . 3M ) for the initial part of the programme in May 1974 , by 1995 , DRDO had spent Rs . 300 Crore ( US $ 65 . 4M ) due to changing requirements and inflationary cost increases . Production and Deployment . The Indian Army ordered 124 Arjuns in 2000 . The first five were delivered to the army in August 2004 . The cost of 124 Arjun MBT will be around $ 471 . 2 million . In May 2009 the Indian Army raised its maiden Arjun regiment . The army received 16 tanks from Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment ( CVRDE ) , Avadi , Tamil Nadu , taking the number of tanks delivered so far to 45 . The first lot of 124 tanks were delivered to the Indian Army in 2010 . Upgrades . As part of improving the Arjun to the Mark - II variant , DRDO is continuing to develop some new technology systems for MBT Arjun . , in order to improve performance in areas like automatic target locating , tracking and destruction . The Arjun MK - II variant is being developed in coordination with and with the involvement of the Indian Army and will feature several modifications that are being sought by it . DRDO is developing the Tank Urban Survival Kit which is a series of improvements to the Arjun intended to improve fighting ability in urban environments which includes defensive aids like laser warning , IR jammer , and aerosol smoke grenade system . CVRDE is in the process of developing tank simulators . DRDO is developing a Laser Warning Control System ( LWCS ) in cooperation with Elbit Limited of Israel to be equipped on the Arjun at regimental level trials with T - 90s . The MCS is being developed by DRDO to help the tank reduce the threat of interference from all types of sensors and smart munitions of the enemy in the tank ' s systems . LWCS includes laser warning system , Infra Red jammers and aerosol grenade smokes , and will help reduce the signatures of the tank in the battle field and help it improve its survivability . DRDO is also co - developing the and Mobile Camouflaging System ( MCS ) technology along with a Gurgaon - based private sector defence manufacturer Barracuda Camouflaging Limited . A new improved 1500 hp engine . An anti - helicopter round is under development as well . Specifications . Weighing in at 58 . 5 tons , the Arjun tank is significantly heavier than the Soviet - legacy tanks used presently by the Indian Army , and required changes to the army ' s logistics establishment , including new rail cars to transport the bigger and heavier Arjuns . The required logistical changes have been made but the cost of the whole project has increased . Armament . Armed with a 120 mm rifled gun , the Arjun is believed to be capable of firing APFSDS ( Kinetic Energy ) rounds , HE , HEAT , High Explosive Squash Head ( HESH ) rounds at the rate of 6 - 8 rounds per minute and the Israeli semi - active laser guided LAHAT missile . The LAHAT , developed in Israel , is a gun - launched missile and is designed to defeat both enemy armor and enemy combat helicopters . In addition , it is armed with a 12 . 7 mm AA machine gun and a 7 . 62 mm coaxial machine gun . The Arjun can carry 39 rounds in special blast - proof canisters . The Arjun uses a manual loader and has a crewman to reload the gun . The Arjun ' s 120mm rifled main gun is a rarity , main battle tanks of most other countries have smoothbore guns as standard . The British Challenger 2 is the only other MBT equipped with a 120mm rifled gun . Fire control and Navigation . Fire control and navigation technologies are provided by Elbit , an Israeli defence company . The Fire Control System is stabilised on two axes , and with an extremely high hit probability ( design criteria call for a greater than 0 . 9 Pk ) replaces an earlier analogue one , which had problems due to its inability to function under the harsh desert conditions . However , the new fire control system also frequently malfunctions when subjected to temperatures greater than 42 degrees Celsius . The combined day sight from Bharat Electronics Ltd . and the thermal imager ( formerly from Sagem , now reported to be from El - Op ) constitute the gunner ' s primary sight . The first batch of tanks of the 124 ordered by the Army will have an all - digital Sagem FCS , whereas the second block will have the BEL unit , which will be used for all units thereafter . The commander ' s own stabilised panoramic sight allows him to engage targets and / or hand them over to the gunner . The Arjun has an auxiliary power unit to operate weapon systems in silent watch mode as well . The tank incorporates GPS based navigation systems and sophisticated frequency hopping radios . The state - of - the - art Battlefield Management System , co - developed by DRDO and Ebit Israel , allows it to network with other fighting units . The Arjun has the capability to network with other tanks , thanks to its Battle Management System . In a search and engage operation , several Arjun tanks can monitor an opponent and his moves , and try to eliminate him in a chase or ambush . DRDO have completed Visualisation with Enhanced Digital Elevation Model and Soil Profile Analysis for MBT Arjun Simulator ( VEDSAR ) . It will provide the Army with information on the shortest possible distance between two points , and the kind of obstacles present on the terrain . Protection . The turret and glacis are heavily armoured and use " Kanchan " ( " " gold " " ) modular composite armour . The Kanchan armour got its name from Kanchan Bagh , Hyderabad , where the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory ( DMRL ) is located . The armour is made by sandwiching composite panels between Rolled Homogenous Armor ( RHA ) to defeat APFDS or HEAT rounds . During the trials in 2000 , the Kanchan was able to withstand a hit from a T - 72 at point blank range , and was able to defeat all available HESH and APFSDS rounds , which included the Israeli APFSDS rounds . A new honeycomb design non - explosive and non - energetic reactive armour ( NERA ) armour is reportedly being tested on the Arjun . A Mobile Camouflage System has been developed and integrated into the Arjun as part of the ' Development of Defensive Aids System ' project . in collaboration with Barracuda Camouflage Limited , to reduce the vehicle signature against all known sensors and smart munitions . An Advanced Laser Warning Countermeasure System ( ALWCS ) for the fire control system has been developed . This consists of a laser warning system , Infra - Red ( IR ) jammer and aerosol smoke grenade system . This is being developed jointly with Elbit Systems Limited of Israel . The ALWCS has been integrated on Arjun MBT and trials have been carried out . Mobility . The engine and transmission are provided by German companies MTU and Renk respectively . The water - cooled engine generates 1 , 400 hp and is integrated with an Indian turbocharger and epicyclic train gearbox with four forward and 2 reverse gears . A local transmission is under trials and it is envisioned to ultimately replace the Renk - supplied unit . The tracks which were being supplied by German company Diehl are now being manufactured by L & T . The cooling pack has been designed for desert operations . The Arjun has a lower ground pressure than the lighter T - 72 , due to its design . The Arjun features a hydro - pneumatic suspension . This coupled with the Arjun ' s stabilisation and fire control system allows the tank excellent first - hit probability against moving targets while on the move . Its ride comfort is highly praised . Though on the negative side , it is a more maintenance - intensive and expensive system , even if more capable than the simpler and cheaper torsion bar system utilized on many older tanks worldwide . During trials , the Arjun showcased its fording capability , by driving under 6 feet of water for 20 minutes . A new 1500 hp engine is being developed that will eventually replace the present engine . An allocation of 40 crore Rupees ( US $ 8 . 7M ) has been allocated for the project which is expected to be completed within five years . Trials and exercise . In 1988 - 1989 two prototypes underwent automotive trials , which revealed major deficiencies in mobility , engine , and transmission . Several prototypes underwent extensive mobility and armament trials , in 1996 and 1997 . The Army found the performance of the prototypes below the acceptable standards and listed deficiencies in the following areas : During summer trials in 2005 , it was reported that the Arjun suffered major problems with its main gun sight , suspension system , and fire control system . Moreover , engine failures occurred commonly in temperatures averaging 55 - 60 degrees Celsius . There are conflicting accounts of Arjun ' s trial results in 2006 . In 2007 , Major General H . M . Singh , a director in charge of trial and evaluation , said that the last year ' s user field trial report had certified that the accuracy and consistency of the weapon system was proved beyond doubt . " However , the 2006 army trial results showed that " the decade - old problems of overheating persist " and that " tank ’ s main subsystems , the fire control system ( FCS ) and integrated gunner ’ s main sight , which includes a thermal imager and laser range - finder , are rendered erratic and useless by the Arjun ’ s abnormally high peak internal temperature , which moves well beyond 55 degrees Celsius . This is in testimony to the Parliamentary committee . " In 2007 the Arjun tank was fielded during the Ashwamedha exercise in the deserts of Rajasthan . The army was extremely unhappy with the tank , citing 14 defects that included " deficient fire control system " , " inaccuracy of its guns " , " low speeds in tactical areas " and " inability to operate over 50 degrees Celsius " . " The Army is now faced with a troubling prospect : inducting a lumbering , misfiring , vintage design tank like the Arjun , and that , too , in large numbers " . This , after DRDO over - shot Arjun ’ s project deadline by 16 years — from 1984 to 1995 , finally closing the project only in 2000 — and the cost over - run is almost 20 times the original estimate . This is the highest percentage over - run for any DRDO project . With the September 2007 winter trials , the Indian army deemed Arjun ' s performance unsatisfactory , including at least four engine failures . DRDO , on the other hand , insisted the tank was a viable choice for adoption and suggested the unsatisfactory performance of the engine during the winter trials was due to sabotage . The Auxiliary User Cum reliability trials ( AUCRT ) of the Arjun MBT were conducted from September 2007 to summer of 2008 . In a report to the Parliamentary standing committee the Indian army deemed Arjun ' s performance unsatisfactory , including four engine failures within only 1000 kilometers . The defense minister presented this report before the parliament , later published by Press Information Bureau Government of India ( PIB ) . The Army wrote in the report that during the " accelerated user - cum - reliability trials " in 2008 , the Arjun " was found to have failure of power packs , low accuracy and consistency , failure of hydropneumatic suspension units , shearing of top rollers and chipping of gun barrels " . Sabotage was suspected , but the Army rejected that any sabotage happened during the trials . A later report published by the Government of India during the induction ceremony of the Arjun tank , confirms the success of the trial . " An independent evaluation of the tank by a reputed tank manufacturer found that the MBT Arjun is an excellent tank with very good mobility and fire power characteristics . " DRDO installed an instrument to function as a black box in the Arjun , following attempts to " sabotage " its engine . Subsequently in September 2008 , the Indian Army signed a deal with Russia to import 347 T - 90 tanks and license build a further 1000 . Transfer of key T - 90 technologies has also been agreed upon as a part of the deal . In 2008 , the Indian Army announced plans to acquire an entirely new main battle tank unrelated to the Arjun , to be inducted after 2020 . The Indian Army has held an " international seminar on future MBTs " , during which the parameters and requirements of this future MBT were identified . As a result , Russia has offered to team with India on developing this future tank . According to Jane ' s , the Indian Army had confirmed that the Arjun ' s production will be capped at 124 units . According to the testimony to the Indian Parliament in the winter of 2008 by the Defense Minister , the Arjun ' s defects have been rectified " periodically " , and the army has " categorically " indicated Arjun ' s performance as satisfactory . 124 Arjun tanks will be inducted into the army , one regiment by the end of 2008 and the next regiment by the summer of 2009 . The tanks will enter service with 140 Armoured Brigade at Jaisalmer . The Arjun was to undergo comparative trials against the Indian Army ' s Russian - built T - 90 tanks in June 2009 . Retired Lt . Col . Anil Bhat , a strategic analyst , pointed out that “ the Arjun tank is cumbersome for strategic movement , i . e . to be taken from one sector to another . It is too wide and too heavy to be moved in the railway carriages that we have in India . The comparative trials are just an eyewash as Arjun can be compared to T - 90 " owing to the different weight class of both tanks . This comment by Lt . Col . Anil Bhat was made without realizing that Arjun specific rail wagons have already been inducted . A comparative trial was conducted by the Indian Army in March 2010 , in which the Arjun was pitted against the Indian T - 90 . The trial pitted one squadron 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 km and fired between 30 - 50 rounds . The trials also checked the tanks ’ ability to drive through a water channel 5 – 6 feet deep . Regarding the trial , a Ministry of Defence press release reported : FMBT . The Arjun MKII variant is to be followed by the Futuristic Main Battle Tank ( FMBT ) , the development work of which has been started in 2010 . The Indian Army plans to induct the FMBT from 2020 onwards .