PM Modi Dedicate MBT Arjun tank Mk1-A to Indian Army

In yet another boost for Make in India in defence Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the Main Battle Tank Arjun Mark1A to the nation on Sunday in Chennai. 

In a high-level meeting, the defence ministry recently cleared the induction of 118 Arjun Mark1A tanks into the Indian Army which would be worth around Rs 8,400 crore and would add to the strength of the force in land warfare.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be dedicating the latest version of the Arjun tank to the nation on February 14 in Chennai at the tank production facility in Avadi," Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials told ANI.

The tank has been fully designed and developed by the DRDO in close coordination with the Indian Army. The 118 tanks would be joining the fleet of the first batch of 124 Arjun tanks which have already been inducted into the Army and are deployed in the western desert along the Pakistan front.

The 118 Arjun tanks would also form two regiments in the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army like the first 124 tanks.

Officials said the Army has reduced the number of tanks required for the formation of a tank regiment and that is the why the present order has six lesser tanks than the previous order for two regiments.

The DRDO has been developing the Arjun Mark 1A for quite some time now and the project was hastened by both Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and DRDO chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy to increase the level of indigenous weapon systems in the armed forces.

The Arjun has been designed by the DRDO's Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) and DRDO Chairman Satheesh Reddy will hand the first Arjun Mark 1A to Prime Minister Modi.

The tanks will be produced by the Ordnance Factory Board's (OFB) Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) Avadi. 

The first batch of five main battle tanks will be handed over to the army within two-and-a-half years of the signing of the contract.

‘‘ASMI” India's First Indigenous Machine Pistol

In another boost to its defence capabilities, India has now developed its first-ever indigenously made 9mm machine pistol 'ASMI'. As per the Ministry of Defence, the weapon has been jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army.

It has been developed by a young officer from Infantry School Lt Col Prasad Bansod in a record time of four months. The weapon has the capability of firing the in-service 9 mm ammunition. The weapon has been named “Asmi” which means 'pride', 'Self-Respect' and 'Hard Work'.

A press statement from DRDO informed that the Army's infantry school in Mhow and the DRDO's Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) in Pune have designed and developed the weapon. 

Structure & Design :

The upper receiver of ASMI is made from Aircraft grade Aluminium while the lower receiver is created from Carbon Fibre. The weapon has an overall empty weight of less than 2 Kg and it features an 8-inch barrel along with 33 rounds high capacity magazine and machine pistol fires the in-service 9mm ammunition. 

A 3 dimensional printing process has been used in designing and prototyping of various parts and the machine pistol is likely to have production cost under Rs 50,000 each and has potential for exports. 

ASMI :

The weapon has been named “Asmi” which means 'pride', 'Self-Respect' and 'Hard Work'. 

Ministry of Defence Statement :

The weapon has huge potential in armed forces as a personal weapon for heavy weapon detachments, commanders, tank and aircraft crews, drivers and dispatch riders, radio or radar operators, for closed quarter battles, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, etc. This is also likely to find huge employability with the central and state police organizations, as well as VIP protection duties and policing.

                           Jai Hind!!!!!!!! 

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