India to buy 347 T-90 tanks for Rs 4,900 cr

[HAIDER]

NEW DELHI: Despite Russia's propensity to squeeze more money out of India in ongoing arms contracts, it continues to maintain its stranglehold over the huge market here. India inked yet another massive contract with Russia on Friday, worth a whopping Rs 4,900 crore, to import another 347 T-90S main-battle tanks.

These 347 tanks will be in addition to the 310 T-90S tanks already imported by India, at a cost of over Rs 3,625 crore, under a February 2001 contract. Moreover, the Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi has already commenced the planned production of another 1,000 T-90S tanks under transfer of technology from Russia. Defence ministry sources said that while 124 tanks under the new agreement will be imported in "fully-formed condition", the rest 223 will come in "semi-knocked down condition" to be reassembled at Avadi. After payment of the first instalment, Russia will supply the first 124 tanks in 29 months, with the rest to follow 11 months later.

Though India is trying to broadbase its defence purchases by increasingly turning to Israel, France, UK and US, Russia still remains by far the largest defence supplier to it.

The total value of ongoing defence projects with Russia is well over $10 billion. Moreover, in recent months, India has agreed to join Russia in two huge projects, the fifth-generation fighter aircraft and the multi-role military transport aircraft. India, of course, is quite unhappy with Russia's failure to maintain delivery schedules of contracted weapon systems, provide uninterrupted supply of spares and its propensity to jack up costs mid-way through execution of agreements.

Even the T-90S tanks have attracted some criticism for being "too expensive", apart from having initial technical glitches with its missile and thermal imaging systems.

But the Army is now quite gung-ho about the T-90S tanks, which have both conventional armour-plating and "explosive reactive armour" as well as a wide array of missiles and laser-guided weapons.

"They give us the much-needed punch on the western front with Pakistan, which is inducting T-80UD tanks from Ukraine as well as 'Al Khalid' MBTs developed with China's help," said an officer.

The Army gameplan is to have 21 regiments of T-90S 'Bhishma' tanks and 40 regiments of upgraded T-72 M1 'Ajeya' tanks by 2020. With a total of around 3,800 main-battle tanks, supported by infantry combat vehicles, the Army wants to have the potent capability to unleash the "speed and shock effect" of mechanised forces whenever required.

The T-90S tanks, on their part, are gradually replacing old warhorses like T-55 tanks and the older variants of the T-72 tanks. "In all, we will induct 1,657 T-90S tanks in this huge project with Russia," said the officer.

India to buy 347 T-90 tanks for Rs 4,900 cr-India-The Times of India

 

[BATMAN]

The Army gameplan is to have 21 regiments of T-90S 'Bhishma' tanks and 40 regiments of upgraded T-72 M1 'Ajeya' tanks by 2020.

No mention of any single regiment of Arjun?
Finally this brings an end to the claims of IA ordering 124 Arjuns and chapter closed!

 

[IceCold]

No mention of any single regiment of Arjun?
Finally this brings an end to the claims of IA ordering 124 Arjuns and chapter closed!

I was also going to bring up the same issue, no mentioning about the arjun? Well i believe Arjun will be forced upon the unhappy IA. Otherwise they seem to be happy without inducting Arjun. Its time DRDO should let go this project and move on.

 

[Titanium]

I was also going to bring up the same issue, no mentioning about the arjun? Well i believe Arjun will be forced upon the unhappy IA. Otherwise they seem to be happy without inducting Arjun. Its time DRDO should let go this project and move on.

The apologatic development of Arjun died its natural death, the moment T-90 were signed for. For the last 7 years, can you belive only 15 tanks were manufactured. All were duly returned for quality checks

 

[Goodperson]

No mention of any single regiment of Arjun?
Finally this brings an end to the claims of IA ordering 124 Arjuns and chapter closed!

T90's and Arjuns are of different Class Army has ordered as a part of its strategy, Obviously there is no denying of delay of Arjun's but the problem seemed to be rectified Indian establishment can produce around 30 tanks per year.

Here is report on Arjun - Arjun Tanks To Be Inducted Into Army Soon: Army Chief J.J. Singh | India Defence

 

[PAK-FA]

The know-how gained by the development of Arjun will be used to manufacture Arjun Mark II / Tank EX. This is what R&D is all about. Buying a foreign tank and calling it indigenous is an easy job.

 

[con]

The apologatic development of Arjun died its natural death, the moment T-90 were signed for. For the last 7 years, can you belive only 15 tanks were manufactured. All were duly returned for quality checks

Really?
Let me enlighten an expert like you that Arjun production line was setup in 2006. I guess with your level of knowledge ,we can understand that for you 2006-2007 is 7 years!

And shall I add, 15 are already delivered to IA and the second batch of 15 is undergoing acceptance tests in Dec 2007. My maths tells me that is 30 tanks within a year.

 

[Titanium]

Really?
Let me enlighten an expert like you that Arjun production line was setup in 2006. I guess with your level of knowledge ,we can understand that for you 2006-2007 is 7 years!

And shall I add, 15 are already delivered to IA and the second batch of 15 is undergoing acceptance tests in Dec 2007. My maths tells me that is 30 tanks within a year.

Oh man, do I love this fourm? Where else can you find LIES, DECPTION and SELFDELUSION in individuals.

An indent for manufacture of 124 Tanks has been placed on Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in March 2000. Five Tanks have already been handed over to Army in 2005 and nine more Tanks are ready for delivery. The remaining quantity is expected to be delivered by 2009
Indian Army to Acquire 124 Arjun MBTs By 2009: Defence Ministry | India Defence

The Army's order of 124 Arjun tanks is likely to be delivered by 2007-08. The first squadron of 14 tanks is to be handed over before March 2005. The advent of Arjun

Do I have to say more MR.Self-denial.

 

[blain2]

The know-how gained by the development of Arjun will be used to manufacture Arjun Mark II / Tank EX. This is what R&D is all about. Buying a foreign tank and calling it indigenous is an easy job.

Really? I guess then Indian industry has been getting off relatively easy as every single "successful" project undertaken by the Indian industry is one where you have assembled and not developed.

Arjun requires a lot of components of Indian origin before it can be termed "Indian" at least in my opinion. Pakistani tanks on the other hand are functional and we were able to operationalize them in a relatively quick time. I do not think any body in Pakistan is losing sleep over the fact that AK's have a Ukrainian engine or a western origin FCS...the fact is that it works and we are not re-inventing the wheel.

Also Tank-EX is simply a re-work of the existing hardware to get around the problem of transporting Arjun in the existing Indian infrastructure.

Indian Army Chiefs for the past decade have been talking about inducting the Arjun (what other choice do they have but to parrot the "indigenous efforts" line?).

This seems like a repeat of the T-72 buy (T-90s). Arjun is too late and too little now to turn the tide around. Its better to look at the sunk cost and move on from the Arjun (however all indications are that national pride is holding more sway than technical and professional reasons).

 

[Goodperson]

Blain Army has ordered 124 tanks, As per its strategy and number of Arjuns that could be produced it will take couple 4 more years.
Arjun MK-2 is future modification of Arjun tank which is planned. To incorporate of the shelf components is intelligent thing of course doing it as a whole has its advantages and disadvantage.

Why do you think Arjun is an Assembled tank ?

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

On the "indigenous Arjun" issue, the video posted by Bull, I think, clearly mentioned that the tank had about forty percent indigenous components. Its time to get off the "indigenous" high horse and just accept that most projects by India and Pakistan involve subsystems from non-indigenous sources.

 

[aryan2007]

On the "indigenous Arjun" issue, the video posted by Bull, I think, clearly mentioned that the tank had about forty percent indigenous components. Its time to get off the "indigenous" high horse and just accept that most projects by India and Pakistan involve subsystems from non-indigenous sources.

I dunno if I posted something similiar or not...

Anything not licensed/unlicensed produced or reverse engineered in spite of employing foreign sub-systems in addition to the employment of the indigenous country's capital, labour etc. can be called indigenous..esp after the rise of globalization and world trade the meaning of indigenous(import subsitituion) has changed..

No other country can develop anything significantly similar to do so therefore strengthning its claim of being indigenous without reverse engineering...

Most of the Chinese Steel(Made in China steel) today is produced using Indian iron ore employing European technology and using Coke from China and Coal from Australia(?)...

Let our hate/anti-stance take a backseat and if Indians call it indigenous, wrongly in your eyes let them do so, by you "butt"ing(I used this for lack of a better word, sorry) in, the response will always be the product is indigenous irresp of whether they agree or disagree with you.. A wrong notion of patriotism but sadly such is the case in our countries...

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Aryan,

Lest you misunderstand me, let me clarify - I am not arguing for the sake of "butting in", but as a reponse to this post:

The know-how gained by the development of Arjun will be used to manufacture Arjun Mark II / Tank EX. This is what R&D is all about. Buying a foreign tank and calling it indigenous is an easy job.

Your argument works both ways. Quite a few Indians have to get off their high horse of labeling everything Pakistan produces a "Chinese copy" and therefore "non-indigenous". As long as that keeps happening, Pakistanis will keep pointing out that Indian products are just as "non-indigenous" as ours.

 

[aryan2007]

Your argument works both ways. Quite a few Indians have to get off their high horse of labeling everything Pakistan produces a "Chinese copy" and therefore "non-indigenous". As long as that keeps happening, Pakistanis will keep pointing out that Indian products are just as "non-indigenous" as ours.

So who wants to be the bigger man!!!

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

So who wants to be the bigger man!!!

Hey, I didn't start it this time.

And I assure you I won't be the one to start pointing fingers - never have as far as I recall.