Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 23

An upgraded version of the Arjun tank, having better firing and mobility, has been okayed by the Ministry of Defence for induction by the Indian Army.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Tuesday accorded its approval to the project that will entail making 118 tanks for Rs 8,379 crore.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will be issued a formal request for proposal to produce these tanks and formal signing of contract could take a year.

The first tank will roll out within 30 months of signing the contract. The existing facility at Avadi in Tamil Nadu will produce these tanks.

The Mark 1A has a total of 14 major upgrades over the existing version and another 57 minor upgrades.