Arjun Main Battle Tank (Mk-1A)

Arjun Main Battle Tank (Mk-1A)

Part of: GS Prelims and GS – III – Defence and Security

In news

• India Prime Minister handed over the indigenously developed Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A) to the Indian Army at a ceremony in Chennai.

Key takeaways 

• The army will get 118 units of the Tank.
• These are indigenously designed.

• The Arjun tanks stand out for their ‘Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS)’ ammunition and 120-mm calibre rifled gun.
• It also has a computer-controlled integrated fire control system with stabilised sighting that works in all lighting conditions.
• The secondary weapons include machine guns for anti-personnel and anti-aircraft and ground targets.
• The Mk-1A version has 14 major upgrades on the earlier version.
• However, the biggest achievement with the latest version is 54.3% indigenous content against the 41% in the earlier model.

Do you know? 

• The MK-1A project was initiated by DRDO in 1972.
• Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) was its lead laboratory.
• Mass production began in 1996 at the Indian Ordnance Factory’s production facility in Avadi, Tamil Nadu.