India orders Arjun Mk IA tanks

25th September 2021 - 00:31 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Christchurch

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The Indian Army will receive a total of 118 improved Arjun Mk IA main battle tanks. (Photo: Gordon Arthur)

After much dilly-dallying, India has ordered its second batch of Arjun tanks.

The Indian Army has finally placed an order for 118 Arjun Mk IA MBTs, by signing off on the INR75.23 billion ($1.02 billion) acquisition on 23 September.

Under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the tanks will be manufactured at Heavy Vehicle Factory Avadi in Chennai. The Arjun Mk IA features 72 modifications compared to the previous mark, and it incorporates a slightly higher percentage of local content (reportedly 54.3%).

Arjun Mk IA was developed by the Indian government’s Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) from 2010-12, being submitted for user trials in June 2012, which raises the question of why it took nearly a …