Mythology and Modern Indian Weaponry

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India's weapons are often named after mythological figures and concepts. Do the legends match up to the armaments?

A peek at India’s inventory of weapons reads like a mythological tale. Ancient archers, mythical weapons and concepts now find life in India’s battle tanks, nuclear missiles and helicopters.

After all, what’s in a name? Abbreviations like T-90, Mi-35 or Z-3182 don’t sound fearsome enough to serve as a deterrent. India relies on Sanskrit words to add mythological punch to her weapons.

How do these weapons stack up against their supernatural peers?

Arjun: From Archer to Main Battle Tank

Arjun, Main, Battle, Tank
Image credit: Ajai Shukla/ Creative Commons

The mighty archer of the Mahabharata – Arjuna – is today India’s mighty homegrown Main Battle Tank – Arjun. This Arjun too hesitates on the battlefield, as 75% of the tank’s fleet were grounded in 2015 due to technical snags.



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