NEW DELHI \u2014 The Indian Army’s plan to develop and build a medium-weight main battle tank to replace more than 2,500 Russian T-72s has raised questions about the future of the homemade Arjun tank and likely would kill a decade-old proposal by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to build a tank, according to analysts and officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Indian Army this month floated a global request for information to seek partners to design of <\/span> the new tank under a program called Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV). As a medium-weight platform it would weigh 40-plus tons, compared with to <\/span>the Arjun, which weighs 60 tons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The proposed FRCV is in the medium category and is more likely to be around the T-90 platform than the Arjun Mark-II platform, which is getting close to the medium-heavy\/heavy category,” said Anil Chait, retired Indian Army lieutenant general. “Designing and developing the product around proposed qualitative requirements afresh would suggest that we may be looking toward the end of the Arjun saga,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Rahul Bhonsle, a retired Army brigadier general and defense analyst, said the Arjun tank <\/span> will progress from the current Mark-1 level to Mark-3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The lead time for the FRCV to be manufactured, if all goes well, is likely to be approximately 15 years or so. This provides adequate scope for the Arjun series to be progressed to at least Mark-3. Moreover, there is a need in the Indian Army for an Arjun class of tank.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n While no Ministry of Defence official would comment on the fate of the decade-old Futuristic Main Battle Tank (FMBT) project to be developed by DRDO, an Army official said FRCV has “surely killed” the FMBT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The FMBT, intended to be in the 50-plus ton category, was also meant to replace the T-72s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The FRCV seems to be a completely new project which possibly junks the FMBT, which was being worked upon by the DRDO or may be a lead to the developing agency to add on to the existing work that has already been done on the same,” Bhonsle said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I surely see Americans, Russians, French, Germans, Koreans and British participating along with Indian companies in stand-alone or joint venture mode. (in FRCV). <\/span>We could see leading companies from there which are involved with tank design, participating in it,” Chait said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike the earlier tank effort, FMBT <\/span> the FRCV does not restrict DRDO as the only<\/span> production to the DRDO. partner. <\/span> Domestic defense companies in tie-ups with overseas defense companies can serve as be <\/span> the production agencies. for the FRCV.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n “As this is an open competition, private agencies could also be roped in to develop the tank. The best option would be for DRDO designing and developing the same with a foreign partner as it is best placed technically to do so. For an Indian private company in collaboration with a foreign partner it would be a Greenfield venture,” where the foreign company would construct new facilities for the project, Bhonsle said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n