'Made in India' Arjun tanks non-operational due to 'technical issues'

A large portion of Indian manufactured Arjun battle tanks are nonoperational after multiple technical and maintenance issues, Economic Times.

The Indian government had earlier insisted that the army buy the locally developed tank to keep the country's weapons production programme viable. The Indian military obliged and 'reluctantly' ordered 124 tanks in 2009.



Sources within the army told the Indian publication that the tanks are not reliable due to technical defects, and the defence minister had been briefed regarding the problem.

"A number of tanks are not operational currently as the transfer of technology (ToT) of several imported systems fitted onboard has not been done," an Army official told Economic Times.

The tanks came into service in 2013, and it is highly unusual for a fleet this new to run into quality issues, according to military experts.

A part of the problem may be the dependence of the tank fleet on foreign equipment. Estimates suggested that 60 per cent of the tank is developed from parts imported from foreign manufacturers.



India also lacks maintenance capability to Arjun tanks operational, and every technical failure results in parts being sent abroad for minor repairs.

Indian officials have identified 96 problems, including 18 major ones, in the production of the tank. The Indian defence minister, according to reports, has been keen to increase the efficiency of existing platforms.

This article originally appeared in Economic Times