India Tackles Second Tank Design Project

From:defensenews.com

By Vivek Raghuvanshi


NEW DELHI — India plans to design another main battle tank for future Army requirements, its second such attempt after a 30-year effort to develop the Arjun, which failed to meet requirements.
The state-owned Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) has initiated the design and development of the Futuristic Main Battle Tank (FMBT), intended to fulfill the original role of the Arjun and replace aging Russian T-72 tanks, a senior CVRDE scientist said.
CVRDE is India’s only tank development agency, operating under the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The DRDO will form a consortium to design and develop the FMBT. CRDRE has short-listed the Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi, as its development partner, and will also seek partnership with two unidentified private companies.
The CVRDE scientist said full development will begin in April. DRDO will fund 50 percent of the cost with the partners paying for the rest. Six prototypes will be developed in seven years, and bulk production is planned from 2020.
The FMBT will weigh 40 tons and feature a 125mm gun, the CVRDE scientist said. Advanced features will include the ability to fire kinetic weapons and missiles, an active protection system, and hybrid armor to defeat improvised explosive devices.
The tank will be able to fight at night and fulfill surveillance and reconnaissance roles. It will have a third-generation transmission system, integrated fire-control with laser finders, battlefield-management system and mine-detection system.
The Arjun was mired in controversy for several years in the design-and-development stage. The Army found technical faults after several trials, and the tank, also developed by the Avadi factory, has still not been formally inducted for combat.
In September, the Defence Ministry said the tank had performed well in recent tests and suggested the Army conduct further trials and induct the Arjun.
The ministry had objected to comparing the 46-ton T-90 with the 60-ton Arjun.
The quality of the Arjun tank has even been of concern to the Standing Committee of Parliament of Defence. In its latest report, “16th Report of the Standing Committee on Defence 2006-07,” the committee quoted one unnamed expert as saying, ”I am afraid our quality control is very poor. I have heard that five tanks were presented before the media. However, when the media and other people went away, the tanks were put back in the factory because still some quality checks had to be made. The biggest problem in India in respect of defense production is quality control. If China can do it, why can we not do it?”
The Army, however, says it is going ahead with the purchase of additional T-90 tanks from Russia to compensate for a shortage expected in coming years as the service scraps older models.
The Army has planned to junk half of its 3,500-tank fleet in five years. Last year, the Army decided to scrap its 800 Vijayanta tanks, which entered service in 1966. The Army is acquiring 1,000 additional T-90s in addition to the 310 already bought from Russia.
The Army has ordered T-90 tanks that will be produced under license from Russia by the state-owned Heavy Vehicles Factory. Deliveries would commence from 2008 in various phases and be completed by 2011, an Army official said.
Another senior Army officer said the homegrown FMBT effort should not prevent the service from buying equipment because the Arjun experience has been very bitter.From:defensenews.com

By Vivek Raghuvanshi


NEW DELHI — India plans to design another main battle tank for future Army requirements, its second such attempt after a 30-year effort to develop the Arjun, which failed to meet requirements.
The state-owned Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) has initiated the design and development of the Futuristic Main Battle Tank (FMBT), intended to fulfill the original role of the Arjun and replace aging Russian T-72 tanks, a senior CVRDE scientist said.
CVRDE is India’s only tank development agency, operating under the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The DRDO will form a consortium to design and develop the FMBT. CRDRE has short-listed the Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi, as its development partner, and will also seek partnership with two unidentified private companies.
The CVRDE scientist said full development will begin in April. DRDO will fund 50 percent of the cost with the partners paying for the rest. Six prototypes will be developed in seven years, and bulk production is planned from 2020.
The FMBT will weigh 40 tons and feature a 125mm gun, the CVRDE scientist said. Advanced features will include the ability to fire kinetic weapons and missiles, an active protection system, and hybrid armor to defeat improvised explosive devices.
The tank will be able to fight at night and fulfill surveillance and reconnaissance roles. It will have a third-generation transmission system, integrated fire-control with laser finders, battlefield-management system and mine-detection system.
The Arjun was mired in controversy for several years in the design-and-development stage. The Army found technical faults after several trials, and the tank, also developed by the Avadi factory, has still not been formally inducted for combat.
In September, the Defence Ministry said the tank had performed well in recent tests and suggested the Army conduct further trials and induct the Arjun.
The ministry had objected to comparing the 46-ton T-90 with the 60-ton Arjun.
The quality of the Arjun tank has even been of concern to the Standing Committee of Parliament of Defence. In its latest report, “16th Report of the Standing Committee on Defence 2006-07,” the committee quoted one unnamed expert as saying, ”I am afraid our quality control is very poor. I have heard that five tanks were presented before the media. However, when the media and other people went away, the tanks were put back in the factory because still some quality checks had to be made. The biggest problem in India in respect of defense production is quality control. If China can do it, why can we not do it?”
The Army, however, says it is going ahead with the purchase of additional T-90 tanks from Russia to compensate for a shortage expected in coming years as the service scraps older models.
The Army has planned to junk half of its 3,500-tank fleet in five years. Last year, the Army decided to scrap its 800 Vijayanta tanks, which entered service in 1966. The Army is acquiring 1,000 additional T-90s in addition to the 310 already bought from Russia.
The Army has ordered T-90 tanks that will be produced under license from Russia by the state-owned Heavy Vehicles Factory. Deliveries would commence from 2008 in various phases and be completed by 2011, an Army official said.
Another senior Army officer said the homegrown FMBT effort should not prevent the service from buying equipment because the Arjun experience has been very bitter.