Tank EX

Tank Ex/MBT Ex
Three-quarter front view of a Tank Ex in parade
Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	India
Production history
Designer	CVRDE, DRDO
Manufacturer	Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi
Specifications
Weight	47 tonnes (52 short tons; 46 long tons)
Length	9.19 m (30 ft 2 in)
Width	3.37 m (11 ft 1 in)
Height	2.93 m (9 ft 7 in)
Crew	4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader and Driver)
Armor	Composite
Main armament	120 mm tank gun LAHAT ATGM
Secondary armament	12.7 mm AA MG 7.62 mm coaxial MG
Engine	Diesel 1,000 hp (700 kW) power plant (as on the Combat Improved T-72)
Power/weight	21 hp (16 kW)/ton
Suspension	Hydropneumatic
Operational range	480 km (300 mi)
Speed	60 km/h (37 mph) (road) 40 km/h (25 mph) (cross country)

Tank Ex, or MBT Ex, was the code name of the main battle tank developed by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in 2002. It was rumored to be called Karna, after one of the heroes of the Indian epic The Mahabharata.^[1][2] Tank Ex was developed as a second attempt after Ajeya (upgraded T-72) by DRDO to harness its technology spin-offs.^[3] The Tank Ex successfully underwent six months of trials, but was rejected by the Indian Army. At least two prototypes have been built.^[2]

History

The Tank Ex was developed by integrating a modified low silhouette chassis of an in-service T-72 tank and a re-engineered Arjun MBT turret.^[4] The Tank Ex was intended to provide a solution for upgrading the Indian Army's aging T-72M1 fleet.^[2][3] Tank Ex was to be a hybrid between the Arjun tank and the T-72M1, with armour and weapons characteristics used from both models.

After the trials were over, as many as 300 tanks were expected be ordered from the DRDO, and additional T-72 hulls were to be imported from Russia instead of utilizing existing ones. However, it was rejected by the Indian Army after two prototypes were built.^[2]

Indian Army's Director General of Mechanised forces(DGMF) Gen. Dalip Bhardwaj declared on 5 July 2008 that the army had rejected Tank Ex. This was part of an announcement that there would be no further orders for Arjun tanks, and the army would be inviting participants from various countries to discuss future tank developments.^[5]

Specifications

The Tank Ex at 47 tons is heavier than the T-72M1 (41 tons) and much lighter than the Arjun MBT, which weighs 58.4 tons. The Tank Ex has a 1,000 hp (700 kW) power plant (like on the Combat Improved Ajeya) giving a power-to-weight ratio of 21 hp (16 kW)/ton for a weight of 47 tons. This represents an improvement over the T-72M1's 20 hp (15 kW)/ton with a weight of 41 tons and a 780 hp (582 kW) power plant. The Tank Ex utilizes the Arjun MBT's 120 mm rifled gun firing unitary APFSDS and HESH semi combustible cartridge case ammunition.^[2][3] A total of 32 rounds are carried as compared to 39 in the Arjun and 45 two piece rounds in the T-72. ^[3] A global positioning system is provided for accurate navigation.^[3] This is a feature common to both the Arjun MBT and the Combat Improved Ajeya. The Tank Ex utilizes the "Kanchan" composite armor especially over its frontal arc (turret as well as glacis) giving it protection against both Kinetic and HEAT rounds.^[2][3] The usage of the Arjun turret design indicates that the Tank Ex may also have its "ready" ammunition stored in the bustle (as in the Arjun), separated from the crew and provided with blow off panels. This would be a significant protective feature in line with western design practices. The Tank Ex retains the T-72's mobility, with a road speed of 60 km/h^[2] and a cross-country speed of 40 km/h.^[3][4] With a maximum gradient climb at 30 degrees it remains in line with all variants of the T-72 like the T-72BM. The Tank Ex is better at trench crossing: 2.6 meters as compared to the T-72M1's 2.28 meters. Vertical Obstacles 0.85 meters tall can be surmounted. Shallow fording is quoted as 1.2 meters. The Tank Ex should also have the possibility to fire the Israeli LAHAT missile from its gun-barrel, like the Arjun.^[2]

Notes

References

• Tank ex

External links

• DRDO offers new tank in place of Arjun-The Times of India Online
• photos of Tank ex