And since the great WW-II many tanks of all weights and size have had same problem, some surfaces require very low ground pressure, like a swamp.
Without the proposed tenders for T-90 upgrade its not superior than the Arjun.
First of all Boeing worked with Lockheed martin on YF-22 and F-22.
Northrop Grumman was the one opposing with YF-23 with their experience on B-2 bomber, and their reserach advanced the technology they had developed in RCS management, Avionics and Materials, this will be used for the USAF next generation bomber project, the research done is very much alive.
Integrate a new missile or shell on the T-90 and Russians are back in business, its the era of computerised FCS, and the maker still keeps the source.
A tender requires permission from the ministry of finance and under the new DPP intimation to the parliament, so i guess if there is a tender we would know about it.
The APS will be common for all MBTs and ICVs.
The active part in APS shows a approach to distruct a ATGM in flight.
You asked about where a top of the line ERA for arjun will come from in the next 5 years, i answered with possible locations.
OK
http://www.drdo.org/explosive.html
India and Russia have a IPR agreement in place, we can not go outside the contract boundaries and modify a russian product without permission. If there is no ToT and Russia refuses to allow modification we need to keep importing the armour tiles.
Not when the heavy MBTs costs are going down with aggreements in place for domestic manufacturing (which might fall through if the order is stuck at 124), In T-90 most of the tank is imported and assembled here in India, and yet it might end up being cheaper manufactured in Russia than India (ala Su-30).
FCS on arjun is indigenous computerised one, and its next generation all electric type fire and drive control are already in final stages of development for the ICV project abhay .
Look at the projected figures of economic and industrial performance for 2030.
If i had it i wont give it, dont trust such figures, these are confidential and often heavily under quoted or over quoted by people in the know (they risk loosing their jobs or are trying to market the product).
That is just strange, our opponent is a regular army with tanks and heavy ATGMs (for which no ERA works as both shaped charges are massive), and the shells are fired thousands of times before induction.
That doctrine you stated, in both pre and post cold start time concentrates on occupying lands and cutting off major population centres, nowhere does the army intend to control a city, as that bogs them down rids them of the advantage to maneuver in a maneuver warfare and risks there supply lines.
Please read about the previous battles and have a look at the map
US army in Iraq and Russian army in Chechnya faced a enemy in urban scenario where the tanks supporting infantry was suppressed while the anti tank team fired from a preferred vector and distance like the top of roop which gave a top attack profile, or the basement of a building which gave access to the bottom parts of the tank (vulnerable in all profiles front or side), in open field tank battle the situation is very different and frontal armour protection against Kinetic rounds is very important.
Will T-90 work, yes it will excel with all the possible upgrades, Arjun will also achieve the same results with more protection.
A battle to cut supply routes and occupying territory for post war negotiations is very different from a occupation of a city where the opposing force is able to fight with the death with a thousand cuts mentality.
These two situations could not be any more different.
Many people falsely claim that T-series tank have ineffective armour and ERA based on Russian experience in chechnya, which is incorrect as the tanks were in a urban setting where the terrorists were able to attack from a distance and angle of their choosing, perhaps a tactical mistake, but in no way a reflection of the tanks ability.
Any major tender if accepted or paid for will be in the know.
The only mentioned time line for FMBT is 2030 and its not been mentioned that many times (nothing is for certain).
He also said in the same briefing
And he stated the timeline as around 2030 for induction.
If the army requirements for the Arjun MBT are met they will have to buy more, MoD is the boss, even after saying that they will not place any more orders, there will still be trials for more.
Throughout your post your position is that media is somehow against T-90 which is incorret, its mostly col. Ajai Shukla right now, and before 2005 he openly criticised the Tank.
And eveyone knows that the Army doesnot want more than the 124 arjun MBTs, its not in doubt, the discussion is why should they take more, no one here or in the media can have any bearing on the final decision, this is just a discussion on what if and why should they, like the many carried out in online forums about what if we had kept on pushing forward in 1971 or why should some candidate win the indian idol etc. etc.
