Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

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The Hindu : News / National : India gets naval weapon system to destroy enemy targets

India has developed a new generation multi-sensor, multi-weapon defence system against enemy targets on board naval ships.

The state-of-the-art “Gun Fire Control System” (GFCS) developed by Bharat Electronics Limited will be installed on board the P-28 class of ships.

“The GFCS is a quick reaction, multi-sensor, multi-weapon, short/medium/long range defence system against air, surface or shore targets on board naval ships”, a senior official of the Bangalore-based Navratna defence PSU told PTI.

The GFCS is designed to provide air, surface or shore defence with 76 MM and 30 MM guns. Its purpose is to locate a hostile target using a radar or video tracker, acting on early warning search radars and to track its approach with high accuracy, in order to obtain reliable target data.

The data is further processed and used to control the weapons by pointing it in an exact ballistic firing position for eventual destruction of the target. The GFCS continues to track the approaching target, simultaneously pointing the weapon on it, until it is completely destroyed.

The GFCS comprises five functional sub-systems: tracker, weapon control, sight control, combat management system and support systems, each of which can be used as an independent system.

The GFCS for the P-28 class of ships would be “handed over” to Defence Minister A.K. Antony at a ceremony in Bangalore in the presence of BEL Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Kumar Datt on February 2.

A state-of-the-art facility, dedicated to manufacture of Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC) for the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas) at BEL’s Bangalore Complex will also come up.

DFCC is a multiple redundant (improving its reliability, one channel will take over if another fails) digital fly-by-wire flight control system of Tejas, which controls manoeuvring of the aircraft.

DFCC is a flight critical sub-system to be manufactured as per AS 9100 standards with stringent in-process and quality control processes, including environmental tests on each unit.

To meet this requirement, BEL has set up this integrated manufacturing facility for assembly, inspection and testing of DFCC, all under one roof.

The facility includes thermal cycling chamber, vibration machine, dehumidifying chambers for storing PCBs, high resolution inspection tools to identify process errors, automated test equipment for rigorous performance testing and engineering test station for testing the DFCC unit.

 

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fullstory

Nishant's 'different' landing creates flutter

Bangalore, Jan 29 (PTI) Unmanned aerial vehicle Nishant today created a flutter when it landed at a location other than its designated landing place at the testing range of Defence Research and Development Organisation near Kolar in Karnataka.

The landing was mistaken for an accident by locals who saw the machine coming down, DRDO sources said.

DRDO personnel switched off the engine and enabled it to land softly with the help of on-board parachute, in a area filled with sand. It was landed at a different place "deliberately", a DRDO official said.

 

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Defence research lab’s IED detection kits picked up for mass production - Express India


Pune When a NOIDA-based company begins mass manufacturing improvised explosive device (IED) detection kits later this year for the police and paramilitary forces it would be the logical end to a story that began in Pune about a decade ago. Since 2000, three different types of explosive detecton kits have been designed at the city-based High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL) which have sales potential in the national and international markets because of heightened security concerns.
This week, the Defence Research and Development Organisation signed an agreement with a private company in NOIDA to mass manufacture the explosive detection kits created by HEMRL.

“This is the first technology of HEMRL that has been picked up by a private company for mass production,” said A Subananda Rao, HEMRL director. While the kit has been supplied to the Border Security Force, the Army and the police, mass production would make it even more accessible to local security agencies, said Rao.

The first explosive detection kit made by HEMRL allowed the user to identify any explosive with the help of chemicals present in the kit; the change in colour of the substance would indicate a particular explosive. “After the initial kit was made, we got feedback from the police that they would like us to device a spray which would work in a similar manner. With the spray, there is no need for the user to physically collect the samples,” said Reny Roy, one of the scientists who worked on the kit. Recently, the HEMRL developed a disposable palm-sized explosive detection kit, which scientists say is easier to carry around. “All the three kits have been given to the company,” Roy said.

This private-public partnership is an initiative promoted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the DRDO for certain upcoming technologies.

“This kit would be very useful in pre and post disaster activities,” said Nirankar Saxena, executive director for technology commercialisation, FICCI. Along with its use in public governance, he said, the industrial setup would also find this kit useful in prevention of disasters. The kit also had good export potential, he said.

 

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BRAHMOS: The most sophisticated cruise missile in the world :: Brahmand.com


BRAHMOS is not just transfer of technology but mutual production & upgradation of technology so as to ensure that country become self-sufficient in supersonic strategic missile capacity. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Dr. AS Pillai published in the Super India Financial News (SIFN).

SIFN: Would you please tell us about BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile?

Dr. AS Pillai: BRAHMOS is a precision strike weapon for Army, Navy, Airforce. This universal missile can be fitted in ships, Mobile Launchers, Submarines and Aircrafts. The target can be any large value installation on ground, sea or shore.

The missile has flight range of up to 290-km with supersonic speed all through, leading to shorter flight time, consequently ensuring lower dispersion of targets, quicker engagement time and non-interception by any known weapon system.

It operates on 'Fire and Forget Principle' adopting varieties of flight trajectories on its way to the target. Its destructive power is enhanced due to large kinetic energy on impact. Its crusing altitude could be upto 15 km and terminal altitude is as low as 10 meters.

It carries a conventional warhead weighing 200 to 300 kgs. Compared to existing state-of-the-art subsonic cruise missiles, BRAHMOS has 3 times more velocity, 2.5 to 3 times more flight range, 3 to 4 times more seeker range & 9 times more kinetic energy.

SIFN: What is the basic aim behind development of supersonic missile?

Dr. AS Pillai: In Gulf war, more than 650 missiles were fired at different targets and 70% could have destroyed important targets deceiving enemy radars. Now there are attempts to intercept these subsonic cruise missiles. Hence it is necessary not to give indication that the missile is coming to targets. This can be done by increasing the speed and stealth characteristics of the missile. Today, India has an edge over other countries.

SIFN: What is the major significance of BRAHMOS missile?

Dr. AS Pillai: It reaches the target fast because of its high speed & secondly, it gives less time to the enemy to react. It creates massive damage due to its super speed because the Kinetic energy is velocity square. BRAHMOS is 9 times more powerful in destroying the targets compared to existing cruise missiles in the world. Indian Army is the only Land Force in the world to have supersonic precision strike cruise missile.

SIFN: When will BRAHMOS be introduced to all the branches of armed forces?

Dr. AS Pillai: Ship based Weapon Complex in Inclined and Vertical configuration & Land Based Weapon Complex with Mobile Autonomous Launchers are already in service with the Navy and Army. In the next two years Airforce will also have BRAHMOS missile. The development of air-launched version Su-30MKI is in progress.

SIFN: What is the basic objective behind taking over KELTEC?

Dr. AS Pillai: We wanted to increase our productive capacity. So, were looking at various options other than Hyderabad due to shortage of space. Kerala govt. approached the defence ministry for them to take over KELTEC. An offer was made to BrahMos and we were ready to take over KELTEC. Government agreed to invest Rs. 125 cr. to KELTEC for supporting BRAHMOS production and for upkeeping the manufacturing capabilities. So KELTEC was transferred as BrahMos Thiruvananthapuram Ltd. After being taken over by BrahMos there has been a total transformation. It is now an ISO 9100 certified aerospace industry, with high level of quality products being manufactured for ISRO, DRDO & BrahMos. Presently some of BrahMos subsystems are being produced there. In the next two years, integration of BRAHMOS missile will be carried out at the complex.

SIFN: What is the current production capacity & what is your future target?

Dr. AS Pillai: This is one of the most successful financial ventures for India and Russia With minimum investment maximum production has been achieved of a globally competitive product. Presently, we have a limited capacity. We are augmenting them to meet the requirements of Indian Armed Forces.

SIFN: Which countries do you want to export BRAHMOS missiles?

Dr. AS Pillai: There are a number of countries which are keen to have BRAHMOS missiles. It is upto the Indian and Russian Governments to decide which countries we can sell.

SIFN: What is your future expansion plan?

Dr. AS Pillai: We are working on many directions including new aerospace products. BRAHMOS-II should be our future prime product.

 

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Russian 5th generation fighter makes its maiden flight - Express India


The Indian version of the futuristic fighter will also have weapon of Indian origin including Astra, the beyond visual range missile being developed by the DRDO.

 

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India's military sets up robot competition - UPI.com


NEW DELHI, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The Defense Ministry has challenged engineering students to come up with a robot vehicle platform to help in its fight against terrorists in urban environments.

Thousands of dollars for the winners are being offered in the "autonomous ground vehicle" competition set up by the Defense Research and Development Organization in New Delhi, which has put details of requirements on its Web site.

The competition rules say the "autonomous robots" will "serve and protect military, law enforcement and security professionals engaged in low-intensity conflict and anti-terrorism activities in urban and unstructured environments."

The overall winner will get the equivalent of $43,200 and the runner-up just over $21,000. However, the students will have to work hard for their winnings because the machines will not be remote controlled. Instead, they must be programmable so they learn from the terrain they cross and react to it, all without input from observing personnel.

The 3-foot-wide robot will be essentially a pre-programmed platform that carries whatever equipment is needed to do a specified job such as help in bomb disposal or fight fires. It will be part of the ministry's Low Intensity Conflict and Explosive Ordnance Disposal program.

Specifications include a maximum speed of 6 mph carrying up to almost 45 pounds of equipment, according to the DRDO Web site. The overall winner will successfully navigate a third-of-a-mile (1,640-foot) closed-loop obstacle course within 20 minutes with the help of GPS way points and land marks.

The width of the course will be just over 9 feet but no less than 4 feet.

Competitors will not see the course until one hour before putting their creation through its paces. Whatever programming of the robot is needed must be done within that hour for the machine to handle obstacles such sand 3 inches deep, gravel size at most 2 inches in diameter and a maximum grade of 15 degrees.

Also, the robot will have to clamber over a maximum of six steps that are 7 inches high and 10 inches deep.

The competition is open to teams of six students at most, and all must be in their third and final fourth year of studies at an Indian college. A maximum of two teams from any one college will be allowed and a team is allowed only one college supervisor.

The hardest part for the teams will be getting sensor systems and software programs right, the ministry explained. This allows the collection and interpretation of data for the vehicle to operate autonomously.

"Generation of terrain profile, detection of positive and negative obstacles, lethal drop-off, safe down-slope, pothole, waterhole, geometric profile, penetrability and compressibility are to be understood for autonomous navigation," the DRDO said.

Technologies for autonomous navigation include kinematics, real-time perception system, multi-sensor data fusion, localization and path planning and robust vehicle control.

The military said it will need such robots to work in contaminated environments, to do reconnaissance and target identification as well as minefield detection and neutralization work. It will also be called upon simply to deliver goods from one point to another across an area exposed to enemy fire.

Teams must make their submissions by Mar. 31. The final competition will be Sept. 27-29 in the coastal city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras and capital of Tamil Nadu state.

Australia is also looking to students for its next-generation of military robots under its Multi-Autonomous Ground-robotic International Challenge. It was set up last July by the Defense Department in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense.

The top three finalists will receive research awards of $750,000, $250,000 and $100,000

 

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Indian Army to procure quick reaction surface to air missiles


New Delhi: To secure its skies from enemy fighter aircraft and cruise missiles, the Indian Army is planning to procure more quick reaction surface to air missiles (QR-SAMs) from global vendors.


In a Request for Information (RFI) issued yesterday, without mentioning the number of systems to be procured, the Army has asked the vendors to provide missile systems which have a range of over nine kilometres and are capable of taking on aircraft or missiles at an altitude of up to six kilometres.

The Army is seeking a QR-SAM capable of being launched within six seconds and taking on hovering helicopters also. It wants the new systems to have the ability of firing two missiles at a time and simultaneously guide them to the desired targets.

The Army has reportedly placed orders for four squadrons of SPYDER QR-SAMs from Israel. The DRDO is also working on the development of a home grown QR-SAM system and planning to co-develop it with a foreign partner.

The RFI states the missile system should be capable of operating in the electronic warfare environment and should be provided with Nuclear, Biological and Chemical warfare protection system.

The Army wants its new systems to be highly mobile and capable of being moved on rail-based platforms besides being mobile in desert and semi-desert terrain.

It also wants the vendors to do a transfer of technology to Indian firms so that the missile system can be later on produced in India also. Global missile manufacturers including MBDA of France and Israeli Rafale are expected to offer their systems to the Army.

 

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http://www.drdo.com/pub/nl/2010/feb10.pdf

HEMRL, Pune has also developed Anti-thermal, Antilaser smoke grenade. Antithermal, Anti-laser smoke grenade is effective against second-and-third-generation laser finders, laser target designators, laser beam riding missiles, passive night vision devices, and thermal imagers operating in 8 -14 μm range. It is electrically fired from the launchers fitted on the tank.

DRDO Takes a look at Global Fuel Cell
Technologies FUCETECH 2009
Recent DRDO Developments
FOX-7 Pilot Plant
Anti-thermal Anti-laser Smoke Grenade

 

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http://www.deccanherald.com/content/49640/nishant-crashlands.html



An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Nishant, which was on a test flight, crashlanded in an agricultural land at Chikkatumutagiri in Bangarpet taluk on Friday following technical problem.



The UAV was scheduled to land at Defence Research and Development and Development (DRDO) premises at Muduwadi Hosahalli in Kolar taluk. The vehicle was launched at 11 am and was scheduled to return at 4 pm after flying over Hosur in Tamil Nadu. However, it developed problems around 2.45 and crashlanded with a loud sound. Wings were damaged in the accident. No one was injured in the accident.

On hearing the thud, a teacher and students in a nearby school rushed out and saw the damaged vehicle.

According to sources, the vehicle was valued at Rs 20 crore and was carrying Rs five crore worth camera on board.

In Bangalore, a DRDO spokesperson denied that the UAV had crashlanded. However, he confirmed that the UAV was the advanced version of Nishant.

Spokesperson Jayaprakash maintained that the wings of the UAV were slightly damaged when the aircraft landed on an uneven ground. "The area where the UAV landed was earmarked for emergency landings and it landed using a parachute. The villagers assumed it was a crash," he claimed.

He also said that there was no significant damage and that the aircraft was going to be used again.

 

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Aeronautics


•Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bangalore
•Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra
•Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS), Bangalore
•Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), Bangalore
•Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bangalore
•Center for Military Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC), Bangalore


Armaments

•Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune
•Center for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES)
•High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune
•Proof & Experimental Establishment (PXE), Balasore
•Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory( TBRL),Chandigarh


Combat Vehicles & Engineering

•Combat Vehicles Research & Development Estt. (CVRDE), Chennai
•Vehicle Research & Development Establishment (VRDE), Ahmednagar
•Research & Development Establishment (R&DE), Pune
•Snow & Avalanche Study Estt (SASE), Chandigarh


Electronics & Computer Sciences

•Advanced Numerical Research & Analysis Group (ANURAG), Hyderabad
•Center for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR), Bangalore
•Defence Electronics Application Laboratory (DEAL), Dehradun
•Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL), Hyderabad
•Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL), Delhi
•Defence Scientific Information & Documentation Centre (DESIDOC), Delhi
•Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun
•Laser Science & Technology Centre (LASTEC), Delhi
•Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), Bangalore
•Microwave Tube Research & Development Center (MTRDC), Bangalore
•Solid State Physics Laboratory (SSPL), Delhi
•Scientific Analysis Group (SAG), Delhi


Human Resource Development

•Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (Deemed University), Pune
•Institute of Technology Management (ITM), Mussorie


Life Sciences

•Defence Agricultural Research Laboratory (DARL), Pithoragarh
•Defence Bio-Engineering & Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bangalore
•Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore
•Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR)
•Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences (DIPAS), Delhi
•Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR), Delhi
•Defence Research Laboratory (DRL), Tejpur
•Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), Delhi
•Defence Research & Development Establishment (DRDE), Gwalior


Materials

•Defence Laboratory (DLJ), Jodhpur
•Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad
•Defence Materials & Stores Research & Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur


Missiles

•Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad
•Institute of Systems Studies & Analyses (ISSA), Delhi
•Integrated Test Range (ITR), Balasore
•Research Center Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad


NAVAL

•Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL), Ambernath
•Naval Physical & Ocenographic Laboratory (NPOL), Cochin
•Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Vishakapatnam

 

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EXCLUSIVE: AESA Programme For Tejas Scans For Development Partner
LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence: EXCLUSIVE: AESA Programme For Tejas Scans For Development Partner

India's homegrown AESA radar programme appears to be gathering pace. The Bangalore-based Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), a laboratory under the DRDO, has invited bids from global radar houses to be the development partner (DP) for India's in-house active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for the LCA Tejas programme. In a tender issued on December 4 last year, LRDE wants the partnership to be initiated with the supply of an Active Array Antenna Unit (AAAU) supplied by the development partner chosen.

According to the bid invitation, India wants the development partner to be responsible for "detailed design, development and realisation" of (a) antenna panel constisting of main antenna, guard antenna and sidelobe cancellation antenna, (b) transmit/receive modules/groups, (c) RF distribution network consisting of RF manifold/combiners, RF interface, (d) antenna/beam control chain consisting of T/R control and T/R group control, and (e) array calibration/BITE among other areas. The final requirement in the comprehensive list of ten requirements from the development partner is listed as "AAAU Integration on Tejas A/c", confirming that the radar is indeed for a future tranche of the Tejas, or possibly, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

"DP (development partner) must have experience in design, development, integration, testing and flightevaluation of AESA Radar systems for fighter class of aircraft. DP must ensure that the items/components used for the development of AAAU are not protected by International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). DP must have delivered AESA class of operational systems for fighter class of aircraft meeting delivery schedules of the international customers," the bid invitation states.

Photos by Shiv Aroor / 1. Raytheon APG-79 AESA antenna modules, Naval Air Station Lemoore, USA & 2. LCA Tejas at Aero India 2009

 

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DRDO's Defence Science Journal Calls For Cutting Edge Papers

 

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Humminger 2.0 to finally rise at VJTI Technovaganza - dnaindia.com

In 2008, a flying surveillance machine invented by students of Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) made headlines after their project was picked as one of the best 10 projects at a national level competition organised by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). They were awarded Rs50,000 to improvise on their invention, as the machine, named Humminger by the students, failed to take off.

However, DRDO officials loved their design and concept. The students worked on it for two years and the updated version, Humminger 2.0, is now ready to take off in their annual tech fest ‘Technovaganza’ which will be held in the first week of February.

Pravin Nair, a final-year student from the mechanical engineering department, and a member of the VJTI’s Society of Robotics and Automation (SRA), who has been working on the project, said, “The body of the machine was very heavy. It flew for a while but came down. However, they were impressed with our work and we were selected among 219 entries. We were given Rs50,000 cash prize for winning the competition and also for making improvements in the machine.”

The heavy metal body has been replaced with carbon fibre. “Humminger also has a camera installed on it, which will be help in surveying areas. The on-board systems have been reduced to a bare minimum. The body is now light-weight. The earlier version was controlled by a remote. The new version has a magnetometer installed for flight direction,” said Siddharth Tiwari, another SRA member. Humminger can now be used for outdoor surveillance of sensitive and inaccessible areas. It can also be used for exploratory military survey of military territory.

The director of VJTI, KG Narayankhedkar said, “Humminger was picked up by DRDO. It gave our students a boost to better their performance. The students will be ready with the enhanced version of Humminger soon.” Technovaganza will see several other exhibits on display which is of use to a common man.

 

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http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/russia%5Cs-t-90-vs-india\s-arjun/384353/


Russia's T-90 vs India's Arjun


Next month, India’s homegrown Arjun tank will take on the new Russian T-90 in a long-awaited comparative trial.


The outcome could decide whether the Indian Army will ride Indian tanks into future battles or continue its reliance upon a heavily criticised fleet of Russian T-72 tanks, which even the army chief admits is 80 per cent blind at night, when most tank battles occur.

The army’s Bikaner-headquartered 24 Infantry Division will conduct the month-long trials in the desert expanses around Bikaner, Suratgarh and Pokhran. A squadron (14 tanks) of the Arjun will be pitted against a T-90 squadron. Both will be evaluated by day and by night, comparing their abilities to speed through rugged, sand-dune-infested terrain; to fire accurately even while moving; their abilities to operate for long periods over long distances; and the fatigue they impose on their crews.

The declared aim of the comparative trial, surprisingly, is not to identify the better tank. The army claims the T-90 is not on trial; instead, the strengths and weaknesses of the Arjun are being evaluated, to help the army decide what operational role the Arjun could play, and which sector of the border it could effectively operate in.

But the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) — which has developed the Arjun tank at the Central Vehicles R&D Establishment (CVRDE) at Chennai — insists that if the Arjun performs well against the vaunted T-90, the army will be forced to order the Indian tank in larger numbers. Arjuns could start replacing the T-72, while the T-90 remains in service for another three decades.

So far, the army has only ordered 124 Arjuns for its 4,000-tank fleet. An incensed DRDO has long demanded comparative trials against the T-72, and the newer T-90, to prove the Arjun’s quality. Trials were scheduled, and then postponed, because of a shortage of Arjun ammunition. With the ammunition now available the army, significantly, has withdrawn the T-72 from the trials.

“The army knows that the T-72 would have performed very poorly in trials against the Arjun”, complains a senior DRDO officer. “Despite that, the army continues to sink money into its 2400 outdated T-72s. Any comparative trial with the T-72 would make it clear that the Arjun should replace the T-72.”

But there is also concern about the subjectivity of trials involving an entire squadron in tactical manoeuvres. Major General HM Singh (retired), the father of the Arjun, says, “It is impossible to measure the tactical performance of 14 tanks. There are too many variables, including the skill of the tank crews and coloured perceptions of the judges. A comparative trial should be a scientific comparison of each tanks’ physical performance in identical situations.”

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has not responded to an emailed questionnaire from Business Standard on the comparative trials and the condition of the T-72 tank fleet.

Meanwhile, the Arjun is ready for production in larger numbers, with a production line at the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) near Chennai established at a cost of Rs 50 crores. Capable of producing 20 Arjuns annually, it has already equipped India’s first Arjun unit, 43 Armoured Regiment. Now, a second unit, 75 Armoured Regiment, is being converted to the Arjun.

But that is as far as the army is prepared to accept the Arjun. According to the army’s long-term plan, which Business Standard has accessed, no more Arjuns are planned. Instead, the army will field equal numbers of T-90s and T-72s for the next 15 years, spending thousands of crores on extending the life of the T-72.

But these trials, despite the reservations about their relevance, are the moment of truth for the Indian tank. A strong performance by the Arjun will force the army to redo its maths. Conspicuous failure, on the other hand, could cap the programme at just 124 tanks