Indian Army launches first full overhaul of indigenous Arjun tank fleet after six-year delay

Six years behind schedule, the Indian Army has finally commenced a comprehensive refurbishment of its indigenous Arjun tank fleet, beginning with two Mk-1 vehicles that are being dismantled at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi. These two hulls will receive 26 enhancements drawn from the newer Mk-1A version, establishing a pilot process for the planned overhaul of the remaining 124 tanks. A 2016 audit had warned that the tanks, inducted from 2004, required their first overhaul by 2020, but no agency was identified and many had sat idle since 2013 due to inadequate repair capacity and spare-parts shortages.

While engine-level overhauls have been carried out by Engine Factory Avadi and CVRDE, this is the inaugural full hull-and-turret rebuild. The upgrade package features six major items—such as a commander’s panoramic sight, an automatic target tracker and upgraded tracks—and twenty smaller improvements ranging from LED headlamps to better fire-suppression systems. The Mk-1A programme itself remains delayed, with 118 tanks ordered in 2021 still undelivered, chiefly because of engine supply constraints. The existing 124 Mk-1 tanks equip the 43 and 75 Armoured Regiments.