India, bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. The geographical location has increased the importance of the defence system in the South Asian nation. As India’s relations with Pakistan and China have always been not so cordial, it has strengthened security arrangements near border regions in the North and the North-West. Furthermore, enemies can launch attacks on India from the coastal areas. That is why India has always considered matters related to its defence system quite seriously. India used to import powerful weapons from abroad in the past. It has started manufacturing advanced weapons in recent times. Nowadays, India exports weapons and war equipment to foreign countries.

Arjun is one such weapon. The Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed this third generation Main Battle Tank (MBT) for the Indian Army. The Army received five Arjuns in 2021, and would get another 113 by the end of 2026. Now, the Narendra Modi Government in New Delhi has decided to export this MBT to Africa.

The Indian Ministry of Defence recently claimed that the topography of Africa is ideal for Arjuns. Arjun is a heavy tank. Hence, it is not very convenient to use of such tanks in hilly areas. Africa does not have many mountainous areas. So, the African nations will be eager to purchase this MBT.

So far, only a few countries, including Britain, France, Germany, the US, Russia, Japan and India, have been able to manufacture the MBTs on their own. African countries do not have such heavy and protected tanks. Hence, a number of African countries have shown interest in acquiring Arjun. Russia has long been the main supplier of arms to African countries. However, the Ukraine War has prompted Moscow to decrease the volume of exports. Currently, African nations are considering India as an alternative.

China’s resistance to India’s arms exports to Africa, too, has prompted the Modi Administration to make the decision. The Asian Giant is trying hard to spread its hegemony to the Dark Continent by providing the African countries with all sorts of help. India has adopted a similar policy, as Indian products are much more reliable than Chinese made weapons. Indian products are also cheaper compared to that of Western countries. These factors attract Africa towards importing arms and ammunition from India. Several African countries are experiencing security crises, such as internal insurgencies, military coups, etc. They can use Arjun MBTs manufactured by India. The Defence Ministry has hinted that Bahrain and Colombia may also acquire these tanks.

The Indian Army has been using Arjun since 2004. Earlier, the Army had 124 MBTs. It placed an order for another 118 tanks in 2021. Arjun can be easily moved from one place to another, and controlling this MBT is also easy. It can fight enemies even at night. As the MBT has the ability to target enemies after finding them in the battlefield, it is popularly known as Hunter Killer. India’s Arjun Tank Export Project in Africa is worth USD 500 million. The Ministry of Defence has claimed that the amount would help the Indian economy and defence system become stronger.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das