I actually asked the same question to one of the Indian military attaches at the army games. His reply was the same old "they're too heavy". I don't understand why the Indian army has such a problem with Arjun's weight when most other modern militaries also operate 65 ton MBT's.
T-90MS ? I don't think we ordered them till now. By all probability we used either T-90S or T-90M in the biathlon. And besides Arjun is more large and bulky than both T-72 and T-90 and we would not have seen some of the most awesome aerobatics we saw with Indian T-90s if we would have used Arjun tanks. Also mobility wise , Arjun is not as good as T-90/72 and in tank biathlon where speed and mobility matters a lot , Arjun would not have gone above the cut
Having a heavier weight does not mean Arjun is slower, because it has a much more powerful engine than T-90. Arjun has a 1400 hp engine, compared to 1000 hp in our T 90. The Russian version of the T 90 is even slower, with a 850 hp engine. So the more important number to consider is the power to weight ratio.Do you think that Arjun Mk.1 ( a near 60 tonnes tank ) might have accomplished what these lighter and more agile Indian T-90 have achieved.
That is another fact that Arjun has got better features than Indian T-90s and would have performed better like better targetting but in Tank Biathlon you need to do accurate and rapid fire while performing maneuvers also. Going into laps then targetting variable targets at variable distances something which Arjun was not that fit for as compared to T-90s. And how can you tell that mobility wise Arjun is better than T-72/90 when it is both heavier and bulky than T-90 and also not as agile compared to the lighter T-90 which has earned its nickname "Flying Tank" due to all such attributes
Rivals in one pic
...........................................................................................
