Indian Army to procure 118 main battle tanks Arjun Mk-1A for Rs 7,523 crore

·       The Defense Ministry placed an order in Heavy Vehicle Factory, Avadi (Chennai) for the supply of 118 main battle tanks, the "MBT Arjun Mk-1A", for the Indian Army.

·       The order of 7,523 crores will give a further boost to the Make in India initiative in the defense sector and is a big step towards achieving Atmanirbhar Bharat as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

·       The state-of-the-art main Battle Tank “Mk-1A” is a revamped version of the Arjun Tank which is designed to enhance fire power, maneuverability and survivability.

Important facts

About Indian army

v Founded: 1 April 1895

v With 3 million military personnel, the Indian Army is the fourth largest standing army in the world after the US, Russia and China.

v The Indian Army trains the foreign armies of the US, UK, Russia in training institutes such as the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun and the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School in Wairangte, Mizoram.

v The oldest regiment in the Indian Army is the "President's Bodyguard" and was established in 1773.