Arjun Main Battle Tank (MBT)

[nitesh]

rahul any specs available for this new baby?

 

[Rahul Singh]

Not any right now but it is sure to be in LAHAT class with improved performance. ........Red colored tip suggests IR seeker, tandem warhead is clearly visible............ It may also become platform for developing Man Portable Nag ATGM. But presently this is all guess.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

DRDO made Lahats..

 

[Rahul Singh]

Wonder its LAHAT or SAMHO. I had a chance to see this missile at last DEFXPO where it was written SAMHO(Semi-Active Mission Homing Missile) also DRDO people gave me a book which contains detail informations on DRDO products. Below is the photo of SAMHO from same book.

*Sorry for poor quality.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Wonder its LAHAT or SAMHO. I had a chance to see this missile at last DEFXPO where it was written SAMHO(Semi-Active Mission Homing Missile) also DRDO people gave me a book which contains detail informations on DRDO products. Below is the photo of SAMHO from same book.

*Sorry for poor quality.

@Rahul,
That's a man-portable Lahat/Samho, but the tube seems ordinary!
Anymore info pls share..

 

[nitesh]

DRDO to develop army's next-generation tank
Ajai Shukla / New Delhi August 10, 2010, 0:31 IST

With most of our armour unfit to fight at night, the project is crucial.

In March this year, during trials in the Rajasthan desert, the Defence R&D Organisation's Arjun tank conclusively outperformed the Russian T-90, the army's showpiece. Buoyed by that success and by the army's consequent order for 124 additional Arjuns, the DRDO is now readying to develop India's next-generation tank, currently termed the Future Main Battle Tank (FMBT).

While costs are still being evaluated, the projections are mind-boggling. The development cost alone could be Rs 5,000 crore. Then, the replacement cost of the Indian Army's 4,000 tanks — at a conservative Rs 25 crore per FMBT — adds to Rs 1,00,000 crore. The bulk of this would flow, over years of production, to Tier-I and Tier-II suppliers from small and medium industries.

For the first time, the DRDO has outlined the FMBT project's contours. Talking exclusively to Business Standard, DRDO chief and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, V K Saraswat, revealed, "While the Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) has been handed over to private industry, the DRDO will develop the FMBT. We need about seven-eight years from the time the project is formally sanctioned. The army and the DRDO have already identified the major features of the FMBT, which are quite different from the Arjun. While the Arjun is a 60-tonne tank, the FMBT will be lighter"¦ about 50 tonnes. It will be a highly mobile tank."

Vital project
The FMBT project, says the military, is crucial for India's future battle readiness. As army chief, General Deepak Kapoor pronounced 80 per cent of India's tank fleet unfit to fight at night, which is when most tank battles take place. The bulk of our fleet, some 2,400 obsolescent Russian T-72s, are being shoddily patched up (see Business Standard, Feb 3, 'Army to spend billions on outdated T-72 tanks'). More modern T-90 tanks were procured from Russia in 2001, shorn of crucial systems to reduce prices, after parliamentary dissent threatened to derail the contract (Business Standard, Feb 4, 'Piercing the army's armour of deception'). Only now, after nine years of stonewalling, has Russia transferred the technology needed to build the T-90 in India.

Urgently in need of capable tanks, the army has worked with DRDO to finalise a broad range of capabilities for the FMBT. These have been formalised in a document called the Preliminary Specifications Qualitative Requirement (PSQR). The detailed specifications of the FMBT, once finalised, will be listed in General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR).

Amongst the capabilities being finalised for the GSQR are: active armour, which will shoot down enemy anti-tank projectiles before they strike the FMBT; extreme mobility, which makes the FMBT much harder to hit; the capability to operate in a nuclear-contaminated battlefield without exposing the crew to radiation; and the networked flow of information to the FMBT, providing full situational awareness to the crew, even when "buttoned down" inside the tank.

Also being finalised is the FMBT armament, a key attribute that determines a tank's battlefield influence. The Arjun already has a heavy 120mm 'main gun', and two small-calibre machine guns; the recently ordered batch of 124 Arjuns will also fire anti-tank missiles through their main gun. The army wants all of those for the FMBT, with ranges enhanced through technological improvements.

However, the DRDO chief ruled out an electromagnetic gun, the next generation in high-velocity guns towards which armament technology aspires. "The Future MBT is not so far in the future," Saraswat quipped.

FICV, too
With the FMBT project squarely on its agenda, the DRDO also envisages a major role in developing the FICV. Says the DRDO chief, "The FICV is not just a conventional armoured vehicle for transporting soldiers. It involves advanced technologies and multidisciplinary integration, which private industry has never done. Only the DRDO and the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) have that experience. DRDO teams are already thinking about the technologies that should go into the FICV. But this is only to support private industry in making the FICV project a success."

While private industry weighs its options about where to manufacture the FICV, the DRDO has already chosen the Heavy Vehicle Factory (HVF) in Avadi —- the OFB facility that builds the Arjun —- as the FMBT production line.

"It will definitely be produced in HVF. I see no way that we can go away from HVF," says Saraswat. "The HVF will work with us from the preliminary design of the FMBT, so that we can go from prototype to mass production without any hiccups."

 

[thakur_ritesh]

so what happens to the proposal of having a FMBT with the russians, and also what happens to the drdo project on ICV, abhay?

 

[nitesh]

so what happens to the proposal of having a FMBT with the russians, and also what happens to the drdo project on ICV, abhay?

We can safely assume that FMBT with Russia is no where in horizon hence calling up DRDO. Abhay was tech demonstrator only, we can see the technologies demonstrated in abhay to find in the new vehicles too

 

[Rahul Singh]

DRDO to develop army's next-generation tank
Arjun. While the Arjun is a 60-tonne tank, the FMBT will be lighter"¦ about 50 tonnes. It will be a highly mobile tank."

Why is Army so found of 50ton tanks? I mean, no heavy MBT operator in the world is shifting towards light one be it US, UK, Germany, Japan, SK or Israel. Guys i'm uncomfortable with 50 ton requirement. After having done 60 ton MBT DRDO prime expertize lies in heavy MBT design where safety means heavy armour plating. In sharp contrast a 50ton tank doesn't have luxury to go for heavy armour it can best have combination of light and thin armour reinforced by ERAs meaning a T series MBT. This is the catch, it is always better to build upon something existing than to build entirely new one. I remember Isreal Army chief statement in FMBT seminar organised by Army " Unlike other MBT manufacturers India lacks a base design to build upon". He had spoken world of truth in this single line. Only god knows how this FMBT will come out. I fear new will face problems in the form of low on safety offered by armour or it weight will swell upto at least 55 ton mark.

 

[sayareakd]

Rahul 50Tons because of the condition of our roads and bridges.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Why is Army so found of 50ton tanks? I mean, no heavy MBT operator in the world is shifting towards light one be it US, UK, Germany, Japan, SK or Israel. Guys i'm uncomfortable with 50 ton requirement. After having done 60 ton MBT DRDO prime expertize lies in heavy MBT design where safety means heavy armour plating. In sharp contrast a 50ton tank doesn't have luxury to go for heavy armour it can best have combination of light and thin armour reinforced by ERAs meaning a T series MBT. This is the catch, it is always better to build upon something existing than to build entirely new one. I remember Isreal Army chief statement in FMBT seminar organised by Army " Unlike other MBT manufacturers India lacks a base design to build upon". He had spoken world of truth in this single line. Only god knows how this FMBT will come out. I fear new will face problems in the form of low on safety offered by armour or it weight will swell upto at least 55 ton mark.

@Rahul,
My guess is it will be something very similar to T-95, Heavily armed chassis and unmanned 120mm turret, Present Arjunmk-1 can lose some extra unnecessary weight from its turret, As unmanned turret is small but provide the same protection, Also the coming Indo-polish light tank will be of same concept..

 

[anoop_mig25]

DRDO to develop army's next-generation tank
Ajai Shukla / New Delhi August 10, 2010, 0:31 IST

With most of our armour unfit to fight at night, the project is crucial.

In March this year, during trials in the Rajasthan desert, the Defence R&D Organisation's Arjun tank conclusively outperformed the Russian T-90, the army's showpiece. Buoyed by that success and by the army's consequent order for 124 additional Arjuns, the DRDO is now readying to develop India's next-generation tank, currently termed the Future Main Battle Tank (FMBT).

While costs are still being evaluated, the projections are mind-boggling. The development cost alone could be Rs 5,000 crore. Then, the replacement cost of the Indian Army's 4,000 tanks — at a conservative Rs 25 crore per FMBT — adds to Rs 1,00,000 crore. The bulk of this would flow, over years of production, to Tier-I and Tier-II suppliers from small and medium industries.

For the first time, the DRDO has outlined the FMBT project's contours. Talking exclusively to Business Standard, DRDO chief and Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, V K Saraswat, revealed, "While the Future Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) has been handed over to private industry, the DRDO will develop the FMBT. We need about seven-eight years from the time the project is formally sanctioned. The army and the DRDO have already identified the major features of the FMBT, which are quite different from the Arjun. While the Arjun is a 60-tonne tank, the FMBT will be lighter"¦ about 50 tonnes. It will be a highly mobile tank."

Vital project
The FMBT project, says the military, is crucial for India's future battle readiness. As army chief, General Deepak Kapoor pronounced 80 per cent of India's tank fleet unfit to fight at night, which is when most tank battles take place. The bulk of our fleet, some 2,400 obsolescent Russian T-72s, are being shoddily patched up (see Business Standard, Feb 3, 'Army to spend billions on outdated T-72 tanks'). More modern T-90 tanks were procured from Russia in 2001, shorn of crucial systems to reduce prices, after parliamentary dissent threatened to derail the contract (Business Standard, Feb 4, 'Piercing the army's armour of deception'). Only now, after nine years of stonewalling, has Russia transferred the technology needed to build the T-90 in India.

Urgently in need of capable tanks, the army has worked with DRDO to finalise a broad range of capabilities for the FMBT. These have been formalised in a document called the Preliminary Specifications Qualitative Requirement (PSQR). The detailed specifications of the FMBT, once finalised, will be listed in General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR).

Amongst the capabilities being finalised for the GSQR are: active armour, which will shoot down enemy anti-tank projectiles before they strike the FMBT; extreme mobility, which makes the FMBT much harder to hit; the capability to operate in a nuclear-contaminated battlefield without exposing the crew to radiation; and the networked flow of information to the FMBT, providing full situational awareness to the crew, even when "buttoned down" inside the tank.

Also being finalised is the FMBT armament, a key attribute that determines a tank's battlefield influence. The Arjun already has a heavy 120mm 'main gun', and two small-calibre machine guns; the recently ordered batch of 124 Arjuns will also fire anti-tank missiles through their main gun. The army wants all of those for the FMBT, with ranges enhanced through technological improvements.

However, the DRDO chief ruled out an electromagnetic gun, the next generation in high-velocity guns towards which armament technology aspires. "The Future MBT is not so far in the future," Saraswat quipped.

FICV, too
With the FMBT project squarely on its agenda, the DRDO also envisages a major role in developing the FICV. Says the DRDO chief, "The FICV is not just a conventional armoured vehicle for transporting soldiers. It involves advanced technologies and multidisciplinary integration, which private industry has never done. Only the DRDO and the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) have that experience. DRDO teams are already thinking about the technologies that should go into the FICV. But this is only to support private industry in making the FICV project a success."

While private industry weighs its options about where to manufacture the FICV, the DRDO has already chosen the Heavy Vehicle Factory (HVF) in Avadi —- the OFB facility that builds the Arjun —- as the FMBT production line.

"It will definitely be produced in HVF. I see no way that we can go away from HVF," says Saraswat. "The HVF will work with us from the preliminary design of the FMBT, so that we can go from prototype to mass production without any hiccups."

as the general said our 80% of tanks are unfit to fight in nights. as i was asking in forum of our night fighting ability no one replied but god ans ny qureies and godess sraswati spoke from general mouths. also we have been hearing our army would war ready to fight in 2015. why isnt smoe pakistan generals hearing this . as they can see our tanks arnt night prepaird to fight they can attack us. what they are waiting for

 

[Rahul Singh]

@Rahul,
My guess is it will be something very similar to T-95, Heavily armed chassis and unmanned 120mm turret, Present Arjunmk-1 can lose some extra unnecessary weight from its turret, As unmanned turret is small but provide the same protection, Also the coming Indo-polish light tank will be of same concept..

I know very little about unmanned Turret design. Kunal Sir please post some details about it. Thanks!

 

[sayareakd]

@Rahul,
That's a man-portable Lahat/Samho, but the tube seems ordinary!
Anymore info pls share..

this is versatile missile from the JV with Israel, missile being LAHAT was modified to suit our requirement it is now called CLGM which means Canon launch Guided missile. It can be launched from Tank or from cannon. it can be shoot with non line of sight way, which means target can be painted by one tank or soldier while another can fire the missile. Therefore no need to see target. Range of this missile is expected to be 4-7 KM.

 

[Patriot]

Indian Army to procure 124 advanced version of Arjun MBT

NEW DELHI
(BNS): Indian Army will procure 124 Arjun Mark II – the advanced version of the country's Main Battle Tank (MBT) – from the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

The Army is placing an order for 124 Arjun Mark II MBTs in addition to an equal number of Arjun Mark I MBTs ordered earlier, Defence Minister A K Antony told Lok Sabha on Monday.

DRDO is designing the advanced version of the Arjun MBT which will have a number of modifications as desired by the Indian Army.

The Army has long sought a Futuristic Main Battle Tank (FMBT) in its arsenal. The FMBT, as per the Army's requirement, should be equipped with high-powered lasers for taking on enemy rockets, aircraft and electro-optical sensors.

The Arjun Main Battle Tank.

These capabilities might be deployed on the Arjun Mark-II project, which has been recently cleared by the Defence Ministry after the Army decided to place orders for another 124 Arjun MBTs with DRDO.

The Army has to date placed orders for 248 Arjun Mark I tanks of which 124 have already been delivered.

The order for additional 124 tanks was placed after the indigenous Arjun outperformed the Russian T-90 tanks during comparative trials in March and April 2010.

DRDO wants the Army to place orders for at least 500 Arjuns to recover its investments before starting work on the futuristic main battle tank for the service.




http://www.brahmand.com/news/Indian-Army-to-procure-124-advanced-version-of-Arjun-MBT/4682/1/10.html

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Unmmaned turrets..

I know very little about unmanned Turret design. Kunal Sir please post some details about it. Thanks!

@Rahul,
Unmanned turret is basically a turret operated via remote control inside the hull of the tank, On present heavy tanks like merkava, abrams, Arjun, T-72/90 etc, crew sits in the turret ( Gunner & commander ) which also increase the size of the turret,

On unmanned turret tank, commander, gunner & driver sits in the heavily armored chassis, this modification allows the turret to be smaller hence reducing weight of the tank too..

Presently only Jordanians army use FALCON unmanned 120mm turret ( Indigenous development ) on challenger-1 chassis..

http://www.army-guide.com/eng/product675.html
http://www.claverham.com/falconII.htm
http://www.deagel.com/Weapon-Stations/Falcon_a002222001.aspx
http://kaddbinvest.net/static/project1.shtm





Also regarding Indian Light tank, we are getting from JV with Polish, The light tank is having 120mm unmanned turret, the firstt prototype will be seen on this September..

Their is a dedicated thread on it..
http://www.defenceforum.in/forum/showthread.php/11870-New-Polish-Indo-light-tank..

 

[Rahul Singh]

Does it mean that number of crew on MBTs with unmanned turret will be two; a commander cum gunner and a driver. If not then is there any space left for any third person or dedicated gunner?

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Does it mean that number of crew on MBTs with unmanned turret will be two; a commander cum gunner and a driver. If not then is there any space left for any third person or dedicated gunner?

In case of unmanned turret, the hull can hold 3 crew member, Commander, gunner & driver....

I artistic impression of t-95 interior..

 

[sayareakd]

my concept of Arjun MK-III

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8gXQngrI7x8/SLwWkRoJ_NI/AAAAAAAAABM/pj3gBPkigRE/s1600-h/Arjun+MK-III.jpg

with drive by wire tech, engine on the front and two member crew sitting in tandom position for better protection.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

my concept of Arjun MK-III

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8gXQngrI7x8/SLwWkRoJ_NI/AAAAAAAAABM/pj3gBPkigRE/s1600-h/Arjun+MK-III.jpg

with drive by wire tech, engine on the front and two member crew sitting in tandom position for better protection.

Yeah, i liked your concept, like merkava engine is placed at front for protection of the crew, though one thing arise is about vision, in this concept Driver have to relay heavily on electronics..