DRDO floats EoI for development of high performance engine for Arjun MBT

Indian defence research and development establishments are looking for joint venture partners, domestic and foreign, to co-develop and co-produce engines for the indigenously designed and built Arjun main battle tank, now entering serial production at a state-owned ordnance factory.

The Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) floated a domestic and global expression of interest on October 31 for the co-development of the 1,500-horsepower Compact High Specific Power Output Diesel Engine. The CVRDE is a tank development laboratory operating under the state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The new engine is expected to replace the current German-built MTU engine. Currently, an order for 124 Arjun tanks has been given to the Heavy Vehicles Ordnance Factory at Avadi in Chennai, with the expectation of additional orders being placed over the next two years.

The newly developed engine is also expected to power the Russian T-90S tanks to be licence built in India as well as an Arjun derivative, the Tank X.

The newly floated contract, according to DRDO officials, would look at developing an engine that will be fuel efficient, with a state-of-the-art fuel injection system, electronic controls, turbo charging, charge air cooling, safety controls and a pressurized multistage air cleaning system.