The Indian Arjun Mk 1 will enter combat in the upcoming War Thunder update “Sky Odyssey”. The new MBT combines a high-speed, 120mm gun with impressive turret protection.
The Arjun Mk 1 will be armed with a rifled 120 mm gun with two types of OBPS, as well as semi-armor-piercing and high-explosive armor-piercing rounds. In terms of armor penetration characteristics, the sub-caliber projectile is similar to the Challenger 1 ammunition. The crew will also be equipped with a gunner’s thermal imager and a laser rangefinder. At the same time, the tank is able to accelerate up to 70 km/h, which will allow it to quickly change positions and capture points.
The Arjun Mk 1’s armor looks befitting its class: there’s a lot of armored steel concentrated in the turret, and its sloped roof is covered with combined protection. Developers expect the vehicle to be a useful companion to the British Challenger 1, making up for its relatively low mobility. In the UK division, the Arjun Mk 1 will be classified as the export and foreign main battle tank – behind the Vickers Mk.7 and ahead of the Australian M1A2.
Indian tanks have been manufactured since the 1970s, with the first prototype shown in 1984. Due to technical problems and the emergence of the T-90S in service, mass production did not begin until 2003. By 2012, the Indian Army received 124 vehicles, and the program was later developed into the modernized Arjun Mk 1A. In 2021, the Indian Ministry of Defense ordered another 118 such combat vehicles.