JAISALMER: The final phase of trials of the battle tank Arjun Mark 1 ALFA, the advanced version of the tank, was held on Monday at the Pokhran field firing range in the Jaisalmer district. The tank will boost the army’s firepower.
It has been manufactured indigenously by DRDO and combined vehicles research and development establishment, Chennai. In this new advanced version, the firing system has been upgraded with an automatic fire control system guided missiles. It also has many other features that will strengthen the firing capacity of the army. Indian army deputy chief staff Lt Gen SS Hasabnis and director-general armed Lt Gen JMS Kahlo and other senior officers were present during the trial.
It is to be mentioned that PM Narendra Modi’s riding the Arjun tank at the Longewala border has increased the possibility of inducting this tank in the army.
According to the information from army official sources, two units of Arjun tank are present in the army, but as per the requirements of the Indian Army, DRDO has upgraded 14 features in it. The induction trial has been done and soon it will be inducted into the army. It is planned to induct two more regiments with the Mark 2 version which will have the feature of firing anti-tank missiles.
A source said, “The Mark 1-A includes an improved gunner’s main sight, integrated with automatic target tracking. This would enable the tank crew to track moving targets automatically, and engage them even when Arjun tank is on the move.”
Official sources said, “The Arjun Mark 1-A’s gun is controlled by a computerized integrated fire control system, giving the tank has a high first-round kill capability. The gun’s day-and-night stabilized sights, coupled with automatic target tracker, guarantee accurate engagement even in dynamic conditions.”
