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DRDO Tank EX / MBT Ex (Karna)

2002 MODERN X-TANK

History of DRDO Tank EX / MBT Ex (Karna)

It was developed in 2002 to provide a solution for upgrading the Indian Army's aging T-72M1 fleet as part of the Rhino program. Unfortunately, Karan MBT withdrew from Project Rhino because the OEM (Rosoboronexport) did not allow the necessary modifications to the existing T-72 chassis, but to the newly imported chassis, as such Tank-EX upgrades No longer an upgrade, but a new tank that's better suited to the game.

Tank-Ex is a major development, the second attempt by the Arjun MBT developers to use their branch of technology (after the successful combat-improved Ajeya/updated T-72M1). Tank Ex appears to be the solution to upgrade the Indian Army's large and aging T-72M1 fleet. So far, it has been tested in Rajasthan for six months and has to be fine-tuned according to Army requirements.

However, it must be noted that the two key "components" of the Tank Ex - the Arjun turret with the weapon system and the platform/chassis of the T-72M1 (Ajeya) - are well tested and certified by the Army.

Tank Ex uses the Arjun MBT's 120mm rifled cannon, which fires unified APFSDS and HESH semi-combustible case ammunition. A total of 32 rounds were carried, compared to 39 for the Arjun and 45 for the T-72 two-piece.

The Arjun weapon system is the most powerful weapon system available to Indian developers. The choice of caliber, gun design and ammunition makes it superior to the T-72M1's operable 125mm 2A46 gun.

Tank Ex retains the third generation Arjun Command Integrated FCS (Fire Control System), including a sophisticated digital ballistic computer. Compared to the original analog components that faced many technical issues, the Arjun FCS has been updated to a digital component, replacing the original analog components.

Fire tests confirmed the effectiveness of the updated Arjun FCS and received Army approval.

Tank Ex was able to fire on the move and was also fully "night ready" thanks to the gunner having a thermal imaging camera built into his main sight. A spare kink sight is provided as a backup to the main sight. The tank commander (as in the Arjun MBT) has his own fully stabilized line of sight and associated controls for surveillance, targeting and combat, giving him excellent hunting abilities. The weapon control system is electro-hydraulic.

Gun raise/lower is +16. 5 degrees/-10 degrees, better than T-72M1's +14 degrees/-6 degrees. As with the Arjun MBT and T-72M1, a coaxial 7.62mm PKT machine gun and a 12.7mm NVST machine gun (air defense) are standard.

The tank also includes an auxiliary power unit (APU) for operating the weapon system in silent protection mode.

Tank Ex uses state-of-the-art "Kanchan" composite armor - especially on its front arch (turret and glacier), which provides excellent protection against kinetic and chemical shells. The use of the Arjun turret design suggests that the Tank-Ex can also store its "ready" ammunition in the hustle (like the Arjun), separate from the crew and have ventilation panels. This would be an important conservation feature in line with "Western" design practice.

Kanchan is a well-tested and successful armor that can be used to retrofit other IFV projects. Tank-Ex also features fully integrated Nuclear Biochemical (NBC) protection. The usual 81mm heat-resistant smoke grenade launcher mounted on the turret is also standard on the Tank-Ex.

Tank Ex retains the speed and agility of the T-72, with a top speed of 60 km/h (road) and 40 km/h (land). While the pitch angle has increased by 30 degrees, it remains consistent with all variants of the T-72 such as the B(M). Tank Ex is better at traversing ditches. (2.6 meters compared to the T-72M1's 2.28 meters).

Can overcome vertical obstacles with a height of 0.85 meters, just like the T-72M1. Flat Ford is specified as 1.2 meters. A global positioning system is provided for accurate navigation. This is a common feature of the Arjun MBT and the combat-modified Ajeya.