Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday handed over the Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A) to Army Chief General MM Naravane in Chennai.
The tank has been indigenously designed, developed and made by the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment, attached to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), along with 15 academic institutions, 8 labs and several MSMEs, according to a release by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam were also present there.
The Arjun has been designed by the DRDO’s Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) and DRDO Chairman Satheesh Reddy was present during this ceremony. The tanks will be produced by the OFB’s Heavy Vehicles Factory Avadi and the first batch of five MBTs will be handed over to the army within 30 months of the signing of the contract.
