Govt will develop second generation Arjun MBT and Akash Missile
merisarkar news service
New Delhi, May 13, 2010
Will develop Arjun Mk-II tanks: Govt.
Government has announced that proposed defence technology commission will provide a major boost to research and development in the country. Govt. said that it has decided to go for the development of second generation of main battle tank 'Arjun' and 'Akash' surface-to-air missile.
Defence minister and all the services chiefs will part of the prposed DTC.
"A new Defence Technology Commission will now be established with the Defence Minister as its Chairman and supported by a Secretariat located at DRDO Headquarters," he said, quoting defence minister AK Antony.
Mr. Antony had approved the recommendations of a committee under former Science and Technology Secretary P Rama Rao that was set up in February 2007 to restructure DRDO.
The government has also given its nod to development of second generation of main battle tank 'Arjun' and 'Akash' surface-to-air missile by DRDO.
With Arjun's performance in the comparative trials with Russian T-90 tanks coming in for praise and it proving itself to be a superior tank, the decision to go in for a second generation Arjun Mark-II tanks is only an indication that the Army is willing to induct more Arjun tanks in the future.
The Army has already placed orders for 124 Arjun tanks of which about 50 tanks were finally handed over to it last year to form a regiment.
