Indian Defence Review

The technical trials of the Arjun Mark-II Main Battle Tank (MBT) have been carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the deserts of Rajasthan. The Mk-II sports major and minor improvements on the Arjun Mark-I, 124 of which have already been delivered to the Indian Army for operational service.

With the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) having cleared the proposal for the placement of an order for 124 more MBT Arjun Mark-II with the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) at Avadi in Chennai, the order is being processed by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). The estimated cost of each MBT Arjun Mark-II will be approximately Rs 37 crore. The first batch of MBT Arjun Mark-II is likely to enter series production by 2015.