Indian Army to induct all 124 Arjun tanks by April 2010

Pune: The Indian Army will receive all its 124 Arjun Main Battle Tanks (MBT) by April of next year, according to W Selvamurthy, chief controller (R&D), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The Arjun is a state-of-the-art MBT designed and developed by the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment at Avadi in Tamil Nadu.

Arjun MBT bump track

"These 124 tanks are in various stages of production. All of them will get inducted into the armed forces in March and April," Selvamurthy said, adding that a few tanks have already been handed over. "Other organisations are also giving us orders."

He was speaking at the valedictory function of a training course at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) at Girinagar in Khadakwasla.

The DIAT deemed university is a premier DRDO establishment working for human resources development for the defence forces. It imparts education and training to the officers of the armed forces, DRDO scientists, and technical officers of the ordinance factory board, directorate of quality assurance, public sector undertakings and foreign countries.

The institute has been recently recognised as a campus selection centre of the DRDO.

Also present on the occasion were Samir K. Brahmachari, director-general, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and LM Patnaik, vice-chancellor of DIAT.

Addressing the passing out students, Brahmachari said that defence scientists should also consider making use of technology for civilian purposes. "Indian scientists are divided into two categories -- strategic scientists and scientists for civil applications. How to make the use of strategic knowledge for the benefit of civil works will be challenge of budding DRDO scientists."