Indian Army sounds indigenous battle tank's death knell

The Indian Army seems to have sounded the death knell for an indigenous main battle tank (MBT) that has been in the development for nearly 36 years, saying it would purchase no more than the 124 it had signed a contract for. "The Arjun (as the MBT has been named) can, at best serve us for another five or maximum 10 years. What we need is a tank that can serve us for the next 20 to 25 years," an officer said. "I'm not saying it is a bad tank. It's just not suited for our requirements. We need a futuristic tank that is at par with those available around the world," the officer told IANS on condition of anonymity. "We will purchase the 124 tanks we have contracted for but no more beyond that," the officer added. The army's thumbs down could well prove to be the last nail in the MBT project, analysts said, pointing to the fact... [read full story]