India to equip Arjun Mk 1A MBTs with advanced targeting system

India's MoD said that the Arjun Mk 1A integrates 72 new features over the Mk 1 model to ensure mobility in all terrains and day-and-night target engagement. (Indian PIB)

India's state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is equipping the Indian Army's new Arjun Mk 1A main battle tank (MBT) with an electro-optical (EO) fire-control system. A source from Tonbo Imaging told Janes that the company is manufacturing the system in partnership with BEL's unit in Chennai, India.

“Tonbo Imaging is partnered with BEL, Chennai, to meet [BEL's] demand for fire-control systems. Hence, BEL awarded us a contract to manufacture and deliver the [electro-optical fire-control system] for Arjun Mk 1A MBTs,” the source added.

According to the source, the contract features the delivery of the Elpeos fire-control product.

The source also confirmed that Tonbo Imaging will deliver the Elpeos to BEL for integration onto the Arjun Mk 1A MBTs. Tonbo Imaging describes the Elpeos as an EO sight for remote-controlled weapon stations (RCWSs). The Elpeos system has an integrated multisensor and is designed for precision targeting.

The Elpeos system has been designed for integrated automatic target tracking and electronic video stability. It has a gyroscope-based stabilising mechanism that compensates for vibrations, providing steady images.

The system automatically identifies and tracks multiple targets, with the objective to reduce the soldier's involvement. The system analyses the images to identify the target of interest within a specific area, decreasing user participation.

It integrates a cooled medium-wave infrared (MWIR) imager, a colour high-definition (HD) charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, a laser rangefinder (LRF), and a ballistic computer. The integrated LRF has a range of 6 km and delivers target data directly to the fire-control system.