India unveils new local-made Arjun Mk-II main battle tank at the Republic Day Military Parade 2014.

Sunday, January 26, 2014 03:36 PM


The Arjun Mk.II MBT (Main Battle Tank) was unveiled for the first time to the public at India's 65th Republic Day Military Parade, January 26, 2014. Thle latest version of Arjun MBT is aimed at exemplifying DRDO’s strength in the area of defence technology – design and development, leading to the production of state of the art weapon systems for India’s armed forces.



Mark two version of Arjun the Indian Main Battle Tank, incorporating over seventy improvements over Arjun Mark I, has been developed by DRDO in a record time of just under three years.

The upgraded version has 89 improvements over its predecessor. These include long-range missile firing capabilities, panoramic sights with night vision, enhanced weapon penetration, digital control, better hunter-killer capability, improved auxiliary power unit (APU), better communication equipment and navigation aid. The tank will have frontal explosive reactive armour (ERA) to protect against incoming missiles

In August 2013, the upgraded version of main battle tank Arjun was undergoing final testing in Pokhran field firing range.

The automotive trials has test the new suspension of the tank designed to handle up to 70 tonnes of weight.

The tank, Arjun Mark-II, is being tested for different parameters. The first test will examine its missile firing ability while the second one will look into its automotive aspects ie, its movement ability especially with added load.

A major modification on the new version of the tank is its missile firing capability. The new LAHAT missile is primarily meant for targeting armoured vehicles and fortifications over extended ranges.



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