Raps Ordnance Factory for delay in gun production

As the Army grapples with critical shortage of modern artillery gun thereby impacting its operational readiness, the Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) has pulled up the Ordnance Factory for delay in producing indigenous upgraded Dhanush 155mm calibre long range gun.  The order to prototype was placed in 2011 but the gun is yet to clear user trials of the Army.

This observation by the CAG in its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday comes in the backdrop of the Army yet to get a new long range artillery gun since the Bofors scandal in 1986 stopped acquisition.  Though the Government some years back cleared the artillery modernisation programme but it is yet to gather momentum. 

The Government watchdog also expressed concern over the delay in development of indigenous airborne early warning and control system(AWACS).  Nod for the Rs 1,800 crore project was given way back in 2004 and to be completed by 2011.  The CAG observed that the project conceived in 2002 was yet to be fully realised leaving gaps in air surveillance capability of the IAF.

Reviewing the Dhanush case, the CAG said as the gun was yet to get clearance in user trials, “deficiency in holding of modern artillery gun continues and the Army is compelled to hold old guns with limited operation fire power.”

Giving a background of the indigenous gun, the audit report said the Defence Acquisition Council(DAC) in June 2016 approved user exploitation of initial 18 Dhanush guns before the grant of bulk production.  During the user trials in July 2017, muzzle brake and related sub systems failed.  The Army has placed an order for 114 Dhanush guns.

As regards the AWACs project, the CAG noted that it was approved in 2004 and was to be operational by 2011.  It was yet to be realised as there was time overrun of 70 per cent and the achievement of indigenisation was only 48 per cent of project cost of Rs 1,800 crore.  The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was the lead agency and was to produce two such aircraft for the IAF. The AWACs is an airborne surveillance system which can detect incoming hostile fighter jets, cruise missiles and drones much before ground based radars, direct frieendly fighter jets during combat operations and detects enemy troop build up and warships.