I would recommend keeping them
separate. A couple of the sources are indicating that the
ARJUN Mk-1 will be
upgraded to the
ARJUN Mk-1A standard during depot over haul
as funds become available.
And there are a couple of issues with the
ARJUN Mk-2 besides the outstanding "
mystery" improvements
NOT made on the
ARJUN Mk-1A. I don't know how you shed
just over 3 tons of weight on the chassis and
maintain its overall strength to mount the same body onto it.
Unless they've developed a stronger steel composite we don't know about, it's
very possible we could see a "
smaller" MBT. As an example just because the Japanese
TYPE 10 is a small tank
doesn't mean I want to fight against it.
I can quite honestly see the
ARJUN Mk-2 "
dovetail" right into the
LONG hoped for
FMBT Program India has wanted, where the
ARJUN Mk-2 will become the
prototype MBT for that project.
ARJUN was always meant to get them to
FMBT. The local political situation and finances have driven them to the
ARJUN Mk-1A whether it takes them to the
ARJUN Mk-2 is still up in the air, given India's history dealing with these tanks.
Remember it took them
30yrs. just to get them to the
ARJUN (Prototype) and about another
3-5 years before we had the
ARJUN Mk-1.
It would be more expediate in the mid term and financially sound, to just upgrade the
ARJUN Mk-1 to the
Mk-1A standard.
We don't need to follow India as much as
we need to follow Pakistan. Why?
Remember I posted this within the last couple of years, the Ukraine and Pakistan have
already signed the papers to in a sense
co-develop the
OPLOT-P. That will drive India's
ARJUN/FMBT issue more then the rest of it in my opinion.
Can you just edit the pictures since they'll be B&W anyway? Don't know never tried any of that myself.
Regards,
Pat
