The Hindu : New Delhi News : Some Arjun systems not up to the mark: Pranab

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Friday, Jul 29, 2005

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New Delhi

Some Arjun systems not up to the mark: Pranab

Sandeep Dikshit

Resentment against "pressure" to induct the indigenous tank

NEW DELHI: The Government on Wednesday admitted in Parliament that certain systems of the indigenously developed main battle tank Arjun had not met the Army's acceptance criteria. These units were being rectified and more ruggedisation was being introduced to withstand abnormal peak temperatures, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.

Army sources said last month's comparative trials of the Arjun with the T-90 tanks at Mahajan range in Rajasthan had to be postponed and the Chief of the Army Staff J. J. Singh cancelled his visit after preparatory tests of the crucial fire control system (FCS) developed snags. "The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has asked for more time. The imported FCS system is not working as it should,'' said the sources. The sources said the Army was unhappy with the "pressure" being put by the DRDO to induct two Arjun tanks in each of the 62 regiments in the absence of a transfer of technology agreement for the FCS.

"This system will have to be sent to the manufacturing country if it develops snags. That is not feasible in the event of hostilities. The system should be such that it inspires confidence in the user,'' they maintained.

Officials claimed that the power-to-weight ratio of the Arjun tank was not optimum and it had less agility than the T-90 tanks of Russian origin now being manufactured in the country.

Moreover, components, including the wheels, engines and hydraulic systems amounting to three-fourths of the value of the tank were imported.

However, they said the DRDO was arguing that the Army favoured the T-90 tanks and repeated trials were held to counter this argument. The tank met all the requirements forwarded by the Army to the DRDO but during actual ground tests some of the systems were yet to perform to the Army's satisfaction.

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