Army to receive 14 Arjun tanks

Belgaum, Karnataka, Apr 5 (UNI) Chief of Army Staff General J J Singh today said the Army would soon receive 14 Main Battle Tanks (MBT) Arjun for training exercises.

Talking to newspersons after inaugurating the reunion of Maratha Light Infantry (MLI) here, he said ''the minor problems in these tanks have been communicated to the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO)'' and hoped that they would be rectified soon.

On Siachen, he said the Army's position had been communicated to the Government. The issue was likely to figure during the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan, the outcome of which would be known in a few days, he added.

Asked about further induction of Advanced Light Helicopters by the Army, Gen Singh said the Army would require about 100 Dhruvs over the next three to five years. The Army was looking at some finer aspects of the configuration of the choppers, he added.

On the level of force in Jammu and Kashmir, he said ''these are decided based on the process of constant review. The postures and counter infiltration strategies also depend on seasons such as winter and summer. The Army's efforts are always directed at bringing down the levels of violence and restoring normalcy.'' MORE UNI