Defence ministry places Rs 7,523 crore order for 118 new Arjun tanks

• The Ministry of Defence on Thursday placed an order worth Rs 7,523 crore for 118 Arjun Mark-1A main battle tanks.

• These tanks have 72 upgrades in terms of firepower, mobility, protection and endurance. These tanks are to be produced by Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) at Avadi in Tamil Nadu.

• As per the agreement, HVA will be producing the first five Arjun mark 1 tanks within 30 months of the indent. Once these are approved by the Army, HVF will deliver 30 tanks every year.

• These 118 tanks will add to the 124 of these tanks that the Army had inducted about a decade ago. In February this year, PM Narendra Modi had ceremonially handed over the first Arjun Mark-1A tank to Army chief General M M Narvane.