Utterly and completely wrong on "Soviet era junk like BMP and T-72/90". Don't believe what you read on twitter.
The BMP is exactly equal in capability, survivability, armour and firepower to the brilliant M2 Bradley. The T-72/90 being crap bullshit is just propaganda. The Turks lost Leo 2s to towelheads with 105mm RCLs, the Egyptians lost M1A2 Abrams to the same fucks. In fact,
here and
here is an M1 Abrams commander and a retired Austrian mechanised infantryman addressing exactly these myths propagated by Ukraine's brilliant information war.
As a matter of fact, the bulk of Ukraine's armoured forces (those responsible for destroying the majority of enemy armour) are T-80s or variants thereof, which are in every way inferior to most T-90 variants and certainly completely inferior to the T-72B3, T-90M, T-90S Bhishma, T-72 CIA. The Russian T-90s have seen staggering success, as have fucking T-60s and T-64s. T-72s have been blown apart earlier in the war but that was operator issue, as they had no infantry cover and were exposed to enemy fire.
Also ANY MODERN ATGM WILL DESTROY ANY MODERN TANK. Full stop, the end. So citing ATGMs as killing tanks so the tank is crap is like saying bullets kill humans so humans are bad designs.
Citing battles like 73 Easting is also pointless. The Iraqi T-72s had not been modernised past the original T-72M. 73 Easting in which Chally 2s and Abrams destroyed essentially repainted T-72M1s is akin to a Centurion VII destroying a Panzer II.
If we were to compare our stock of tanks to the enemy, we are MORE than okay. The T-90S Bhishma is on par with the Type-99A, which is the most advanced tank India will face. The T-72s are on par with everything else we might face. In fact the "fearsome" Type-97 and Type-99 are essentially just rejigged T-72s with a new name. Only the Type-99A is a serious step up.
Pakistan's armour is essentially not a threat. Their most significant numbers come from upgraded T-55s with only the T-84 and VT-4 providing a serious danger, but again, that danger is also limited, for reasons above explained.
Hell, leave aside the VT-4, Type-99 and Type-99A and even the shitty Arjun is good enough for what our adversaries have
I won't go into the technical parameters comparison debate.
I would like to focus on the ideological issue.
Firstly even if the Arjun mk1 is sub par(assuming) using terms such as 'shitty' for an indigenous product is highly offensive.
I don't question your patriotism but some people might want to know whether you at least support indigenous efforts or are you simply an broker for Russian arms.
To be fair, I don't support use of adjectives like junk for Soviet/Russian arms equipment. Some members do display signs of bias in condemning all Soviet/Russian arms as garbage.
Not true at all. It was the same supposedly obsolete Soviet/Russian arms which ensured our independence and security. At a time when the West was sharing a bed with Pakistan. The West denied many requests coming from India for modern arms . That is history.
Ok. It is true that Soviet/Russian weapons helped India preserve her territorial integrity and autonomy. In the decades following independence.
Now there is an intense information warfare going on between the West led by the US and the Russian bloc. Both trying to paint the others weapons as bad and defective.
While it is true that the West has an lead over Russia in areas like semiconductors and electronics, the truth is that the balance is not totally one sided. The Russians do lead the West in some areas of technology.
If all Soviet/Russian weapons were really junk then do you think that the US military and the NATO were utter fools to fear the Soviets/Russians and reach Arms Control Agreements with them.
What was there to fear if all Russian ICBM's/IRBM's/SLBM's were faulty and could never reach the US mainland or Western Europe.
So the truth is somewhere between the two extreme views. Soviet/Russian weapons do work. Maybe some American weapons have an technological lead over equivalent Russian weapons. But the lead is not so much as to allow the Americans to arrogantly disregard the threat from Russian weapons.
Now coming to the practice of pro Russian lobbies in India rubbishing all Indian indigenous weapons. Not acceptable.Probably they do so because many indigenous weapons have substantial Western system/sub systems/components.
Most Indians will support fully indigenous weapons where even the components are Indian made. We don't want American/European or Russian components in our weapons.
That remains an long term objective.
Now coming to the Arjun tank, yes the engine, transmission system is German. And many other systems are imported. But this is because India is still in the learning phase and slowly but steadily becoming technologically self sufficient. It will take time. So until then we need to import systems/sub systems from other countries.
Now if Russia has an objection to India's use of Western components in its indigenous weapons, what prevented them from offering to cooperate with Indian PSU's and helping India develop truly indigenous weapon systems. By offering know how and know why.
Why do the Russians want India to be perpetually dependent on Russian imports.
If there are many defects in the design of the Arjun, why Russian scientists and designers did not collaborate with DRDO/CVRDE to offer their expertise.
Why didn't the Russians jointly develop with India an high power tank engine to power the Arjun. An 1000hp to 1500hp engine with weight optimisation. Or offer the technology of the 125mm smooth bore main tank gun to India.
Russia has to realise that the era of India unquestioningly accepting Russian arms without an genuine transfer of technology including design expertise is over. Today's India seeks to become fully technologically independent and would welcome anybody helping us to achieve the objective.
This is an pro India effort and not an attempt to shut out Russian arms. The Bhramos missile is an example of what could be achieved if Russia genuinely helps India in cutting edge technologies.
Anybody attempting to besmirch Indian indigenous weapons by using terms as 'shitty' is only undermining our efforts to reduce and finally end imports. Certainly not an constructive role. Almost an anti Indian stance.
If there are genuine defects in some indigenous weapons, why not offer constructive suggestions to remove the drawbacks. If you are an engineer or scientist, why not offer an technical solution to problems. If not in a position to help technically, please temper your language and criticism. Simply criticising using strong adjectives without offering any solutions is unproductive.
Bye, Bro.