Battle tank Arjun will be beating a retreat

The fate of the Arjun is more or less sealed, with the Army indicating it will place no more orders for the tank. The tank, beset by huge delays and cost overruns, has failed to meet the requirements of the Army. Eight years after the Army placed an indent for 124 tanks with the Ordinance Factory Board a senior Army official said, “Arjun can at best serve us for five to 10 years. What we need is a tank that can meet our requirements for the next 20 to 25 years.” Army headquarters sources, however, added that a final decision on Arjun would be taken after scrutinising various trial reports. The Arjun has been plagued with a mix of problems concerning its fire control system, suspension and poor mobility. The 29th report of the Standing Committee on Defence tabled in Parliament in April this year, as reported by HT, quoted Army... [read full story]