I'm not a tank guy, but some Indian members were telling me that that the Arjun Mk-1 was really bad and the Mk-2 is supposed to address the issues with the first.
Can any Indian members tell me what the problems were with the first?
I wouldn't say outright problem,the thing about the arjun mk-1 is its good but there are so many little things that can be made much better much much better than its currently.[New thermal imager for gunner and commander,Active protection system,a modular composite armour package for protection on turret side,ability to fire lahat atgm,mine plough,an urban survival kit,better apfsds ammunition]Thats why mk1a and mk2.Mk1a is a temporary stopgap option.Mk2 will be as far as this design can go without structural redesign.The current stopgap ERA package will be replaced by modular composite armour package and urban survival kit,plus an active protection system.These will go on top of the current kanchan armour which is the best thing about the current arjun mk-1.able to withsatnd t-72 and t-90 rounds from point blank range,also withstood israeli APFSDS rounds in trials,but while frontal kanchan armour is superb,the composite armour layer on rear sides is currently not enough,this will be changed and also modular armour package will be added to these areas.But this will also increase weight.The primary development on the stopgap arjun mk1a over the basic mk1 is the Arjun Mk1A prototype comes outfitted with the new digital hunter-killer tank fire-control system, inclusive of a target auto-tracker and a newly-designed commanders panoramic day/night sight that incorporates an IRIS thermal imager (from Frances SAGEM Défense Sécurité) and an eyesafe laser rangefinder. These optronic sensors are the same as that installed on the IRDE-developed commanders panoramic day/night sight which is presently undergoing user-trials on board an upgraded T-90S MBT.The most significant force-multiplier (in terms of long-range target detection, identification & engagement) has been incorporation of the IRIS cooled thermal imager on the commander's panoramic sight & the MATIS-STD cooled thermal imager on the gunner's sight. On the upgraded T-90S, the panoramic sight uses the IRIS, while the gunner's sight uses the Catherine-FC thermal imager from THALES.
The next step mk3 or FMBT wil include redesign of the turret and eliminate the 2 structural question marks of the current design.The gunners sight on front of the turret interrupting armour integrity [this is the same in the german leopard 2 upto leopard a4,after that leopard a5 and a6 changed to to turret roof,same will be done here]and the rifled gun[challenger 2 has rifled gun but switching to smoothbore for future.arjun mk-3 will do the same].
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The original leopard 2 design,later modular armour packages were added.Very similar to arjun mk1.
Arjun design was based on leopard 2,and u can see both have gunners sight on turret front.
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Here this is the new leopard 2a4 modular armour kit.
Arjun mk2 will be similar to this.But thats as far as this structural design can go.
Leoparda4 will still have a deadlier gun and far better apfsds ammo.
The next arjun mk3/FMBT will change the structural problem on the basic arjun design,putting gunners sight on turret roof and changing from rifled gun to smoothbore gun for longer gun barrel life and better ability to use APFSDS ammo.It will also have a seperate ammo compartment most probably.
