DRDO test-fires new ammo for MBT Arjun successfully

Bengaluru, Jan 9: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) claimed on Saturday that it had successfully test-fired new ammunition designed for Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun.

The trials have been hailed as significant as it is for the first time such an evaluation is carried out in India.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the test-firing by naming the new ammunition -- PCB (Penetration-Cum Blast) and TB (Thermobaric) -- both specially designed for MBT Arjun.
"It will give a quantum jump in the fire-power of Arjun tanks," claims MoD.

The main purpose of the trials were to demonstrate the effectiveness of the ammunitions on derelict tank fitted with instrumentation to measure the shocks, blast pressure and temperature at various locations and on advanced imaging systems.

The technical trials were conducted at Chandipur in Odisha on January 6, witnessed by officials from Indian Army and DRDO.

MOD says the trials were found to be very effective and the damage was devastating with the firing of ammunition successfully destroying the target tank and severely damaging its turret, barrel, tracks, ammunition bin, various sights, antennas etc.

The ammunitions PCB and TB are developed by Pune-based DRDO laboratories Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL).
For the trials, HEMRL developed a unique chemical composition after extensive research for the TB ammunition. The ammunitions were evaluated against different simulated targets including armour plates, concrete structures and fortifications.

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