Kanchan Armour

India’s Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) developed Kanchan as a mixed-material armor. It is designed to defend the Arjun MBT and also assists in upgrading the Vijayanta tanks. The name “Kanchan” is taken from Kanchan Bagh in Hyderabad, where DMRL can located.

Key Details:
• Development:
Development in Kanchan began in the 1980s.
• Composition:
The material consists of ceramic, aluminum oxide, fibreglass and various other ingredients.
• Thickness:
There are plates of two thicknesses available: 350 mm (14 inches) and 315 mm (12.4 inches).
• Protection:
Kanchan’s armor structure is built with components that are deployed and removed to absorb the shock of incoming bullets and other projectiles.
• Performance:
Kanchan has received positive reviews for firing at tanks using various anti-tank projectiles during trials.
• Applications:
It is installed as the main armor on pre-production Mark-I Arjun tanks and used to upgrade the armor of Vijayanta tanks.