(NSI News Source Info) April 13, 2009: The Indian Army is readying the locally designed Arjun main battle tank (MBT) for combat manoeuvres in the western Rajasthan desert, due to start in May, in what is widely being interpreted as a showdown between the military and the tank's designer, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), over the system's future. 
The Indian Army has shown little interest in the Arjun, believing it will soon be obsolete. In July 2008, the Indian Army said it would cap Arjun's induction at 124 units, thus effectively putting an end to the Arjun MBT and its derivative Tank EX program. India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to deliver the remainder of the 124 tanks to the Indian Army by 2009.
The Arjun, which the DRDO has been developing for nearly 37 years and which the army has consistently rejected because of performance issues, will also be put through comparative trials with the proven Russian T-72M1 and T-90S MBTs, which constitute the backbone of the country's armoured formations.
Two Arjun squadrons, or around 40-45 tanks, from the 43rd Armoured Regiment based at Suratgarh will conduct the trials, which are a prerequisite to the army formally clearing the Arjun for induction and determining its eventual operational role.
The Indian Army has shown little interest in the Arjun, believing it will soon be obsolete. In July 2008, the Indian Army said it would cap Arjun's induction at 124 units, thus effectively putting an end to the Arjun MBT and its derivative Tank EX program. India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to deliver the remainder of the 124 tanks to the Indian Army by 2009.
The Arjun, which the DRDO has been developing for nearly 37 years and which the army has consistently rejected because of performance issues, will also be put through comparative trials with the proven Russian T-72M1 and T-90S MBTs, which constitute the backbone of the country's armoured formations.
Two Arjun squadrons, or around 40-45 tanks, from the 43rd Armoured Regiment based at Suratgarh will conduct the trials, which are a prerequisite to the army formally clearing the Arjun for induction and determining its eventual operational role.
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