Introduction
The Arjun Mark-II features some major and minor improvements on Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun Mark-I. It will be a 66 ton tank, as compared to the 58 ton Arjun Mk 1, and will be powered by an indigenous engine that will give it a top speed of 60 kph in normal terrain and 40 kph in harsh terrain.
New Features
P Sivakumar, CVRDE Director, told The Hindu in November 2010 that Arjun-Mk-II would have a total of 93 upgrades.
Top New Features in Arjun Mk-II
1. Ability to fire anti-tank guided missiles through the tank's main gun.
2. Extra protection for the tank's crew through explosive reactive armor, or ERA
3. Thermal imaging panoramic sights that allows the Arjun's commander to scan his surroundings even by night. (Arjun Mk-1 commander has a day only sight.)
4. An automatic target tracking (ATT) system which will add to the accuracy when firing on a moving target.
5. Advanced air defence gun system for firing at attack helicopters.
6. Enhanced Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) with a capacity of 8.5 KW (against Mark I's 4.5 KW).
7. Mine Plough.
8. Advanced Land Navigation System (ALNS)
9. Digital control harness.
10. Improved gun barrel with an Equivalent Firing Charge (strength of the barrel to sustain firing) of 500 rounds against T 72's 250 rounds.
11. Indigenous engine will replace the German engine of the 58-tonne Arjun Mark-I.
Missile Firing, Gunner and Panoramic Sights
Speaking to the press on September 27, 2011, DRDO Chief VK Sarsawat said:
"Missile firing capability in Arjun Mark-II will be completely unique. It will be capable of firing laser guided missiles with pin-point accuracy. The missile will be integrated with the MBT and it would be capable of defeating the tank's armor.
"Arjun Mark-II will have several different capabilities, for example, a different kind of gunner sight and panoramic sight along with an integrated display, which is not there at present.
"The integrated display has got multiple functions like target detection, it can see how the missile is going to be located and function for firing different weapons. The display will also show if the tank is moving through an amphibious area.
"The internal ergonomics will undergo required changes. All the systems will have to go for a reorientation mode. We have also made some new devices like human cooling system."
According to a report in the Business Standard on November 24, 2011, the thermal imaging night sight on the Arjun is developed by OIP Sensor Systems (Belgium) and SAGEM (France). It allows the commander to scan the battlefield for targets. Once spotted, the target is electronically allocated to the gunner for engagement by the commander, allowing the commander to resume scanning for more targets.
An "un-cooled thermal imaging" sight, developed at the Instrument R&D Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun, allows the driver of the tank to clearly see 300-500 m, even on a pitch-dark night. Arjun Mk-1 uses an an image intensifier for the driver's display that requires some ambient light.
ERA
The ERA will entail an additional 2 ton penalty, pushing the tanks weight up to 60 tons. However, DRDO believes the tanks 1,500 HP engine easily accommodate the extra weight.
"The ERA will protect the Arjun's crews from enemy missiles. Initially we will fit the same Russian ERA that protects the T-90 and the T-72. But, we will also develop our own indigenous ERA."
The HVF can deliver upto 50 tanks in a year.
Laser Warning Systems
The Arjun Mk-II will be equipped with a Laser Warning Systems developed by Elbit of Israel.
The systems provide 360-degree coverage with accurate and timely warnings of laser and radar-guided threats that can automatically trigger a full array of countermeasures.
The laser warning system gives 10-15 seconds of reaction time. The countermeasures include the launch of smoke grenades, creating a smokescreen around one's own tank that leaves the missile operator without a target to aim at.
Elbit Systems' Laser Warning System (E-LAWS) and Threat Detection System (TDS) detect, categorize and pinpoint laser sources such as rangefinders, designators, beam riders, infrared illuminators and trainers. In addition to laser sources, the Multi Threat Detection System (MTDS) detects, categorizes and pinpoints radar/RF sources. All of these systems allow for training within the vehicle and include built-in test.
Armor Protection System
According to unconfirmed reports, Arjun Mk-II will also be fitted with the Iron Fist APS (Active Protection System) developed by srael Military Industries (IMI).
The Iron Fist APS is designed to defeat RPGs, tank rounds and guided missiles, including those fitted with tandem warheads.
It uses passive and active sensor for threat detection, situational awareness and fire control.
The Iron Fist APS can employ both an electro-optical 'soft kill' countermeasure and 'hard kill' interceptors that are launched against incoming threats.
Iron Fist doesn't use "hit to kill" against an enemy projectile in order to avoid dangerous shrapnel. Instead it uses a close proximity blast to defeat the threat, crushing the soft components of a shaped charge or deflecting and destabilizing the missile or kinetic rod in their flight.
The use of a blast also reduces the complexity and cost of interception.
The interceptor is made of combustible envelope, fully consumed in the explosion.
Iron Fist also accurately determines the launch point of the projectile enabling rapid counterstrike, thus eliminating repeated attacks.
Situational Awareness Unit (SAU)
DRDO is in the process of developing a Situational Awareness System (SAU) for use on the Arjun Mk 2 and possibly other tanks.
Cost
The likely estimated cost of each MBT Arjun Mark-II with ail major/minor improvements will be approximately Rs.37 crore.
Phased Upgrade
CVRDE Director P Sivakumar told the Hindu in September 2010:
In phase I, 45 tanks will roll out with 56 upgrades, including the missile firing capability and the commander's panoramic sight with night vision. Phase I production of Arjun Mark-II will be completed by July 2011.
In phase II, the remaining 79 tanks, with all the 93 improvements, will come off the assembly line. "By 2013-14, the first batch of around 30 tanks will go out," Dr. Sivakumar said. Phase 2 production will be completed by June 2012.
Arjun Mk-II Trials
The TOI reported on June 25, 2012 that trials of Arjun Mk-2 are underway at Pokharan.
Army spokesperson, Col S D Goswami told, the TOI:
"The major upgrades would be missile-firing capability against long-range targets, panoramic sight with night vision to engage targets effectively at night, containerisation of the ammunition, enhanced main weapon penetration, additional ammunition types, explosive reactive armour, advanced air-defence gun to engage helicopters, a mine plough, an advanced land navigation system and a warning system which can fire smoke grenades to confuse laser guidance."
According to the TOI, the tank commander's thermal imaging (TI) night sight, which replaces the day only sight on the Arjun Mk-1, will also be tested during the trials.
In April 2012 DRDO Chief VK Saraswat had told India Today, "We have the first test of the Arjun Mark 2 in June, this year. We have given the army 80 per cent of the changes in Mark 2."
On December 11, 2011, P. Sivakumar, director, CVRDE had told the press that user trials for Arjun Mark II will start in October 2012. [via IANS]
A GOI press release on August 29, 2011 said that limited technical trials with some major and minor improvements on Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun Mark-I, as part of MBT Arjun Mark-II, have been carried out by DRDO in the deserts of Rajasthan.
It was earlier reported that DRDO started trials of Arjun Mark-II in Pokhran on Thursday, June 9, 2011.
"The trials of the Arjun Mark-II tanks have begun at the Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan from today. The development programme is right on track and on schedule," senior defence ministry officials informed media.
"Each of the dozen upgraded systems is being tested one after the other during the trials," the official said.
A senior official told PTI:
"We have made some recommendations on the MBT and it will be tested. The turret related tests will start from June 11 and that of chassis automotive system (lower part of the tank) will start from June 25 extending for a month. This is a DRDO exercise and the user (Army) will be observers. This is the first time Arjun Mark II is going for testing."
The Arjun Mark-II is also expected to go through winter trials later this year.
"After the testing, the MBT will go for a first user trial in October 2011 and production is expected to start from July 2012 after the second user trial," the official said.
"If everything goes on track, Heavy Vehicles Factory here will roll out its first batch of Mark II by the end of 2014 and a unit will cost Rs 35 crore. Mark II will have 90 per cent Indian components in its making," the official added.
Anti Tank Missile
DRDO's Chief Controller for Armaments and Combat Engineering, S Sundaresh, told Business Standard, in April, 2010:
"We had test-fired the Israeli LAHAT missile through the Arjun gun as far back as in 2005," said Sundaresh. "It will take us about six months to integrate the LAHAT's designator into the Arjun's fire control system."
Orders
Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared acquisition of 124 Arjun Mark-II tanks from Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, Chennai. As in August 2011, Army is in the process of placing an order on the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
The additional 124 MBTs would help the Army to raise two more regiments of the indigenous tanks.
The first batch of MBT Arjun Mark-II is likely to be productionised by 2015.