Army’s artillery arm all set for indigenous push

NEW DELHI:  Indian Army’s fighting Arm Artillery is undergoing a major modernization process with a focus on acquiring indigenously produced weapon systems and ammunition. Artillery is one of the oldest arm which was raised on 28th September 1827. It celebrates the 196th Raising Day on Wednesday.

Excluding the Ultra Light Howitzers M-777 guns, the sources in defence establishment say, all the new gun systems procured in the last five years or being procured, are developed and designed in the country only.

The Arm of Artillery consists of guns, rockets, missiles and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). It launches munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. The plan is a mix of acquiring new guns, up-gradation of the existing gun systems and enhancing the ranges, precision and lethality of the missiles, rockets and ammunition.

The Army aims to standardize its bulk of the guns to 155mm/ 52 Calibre, said the sources in the Defence establishment. The Army has added new regiments recently and few more are undergoing the trials before getting inducted.  A Regiment of Artillery comprises 18 Guns. The 155/52 Calibre Gun is indigenously produced self propelled Gun System by Larsen and Toubro and is capable of firing bombs beyond 40 kilometers.

The K9 guns along with the Bofors gun was moved to Eastern Ladakh and as the Chinese troops clashed with the Indian Army soldiers in May 2020. Till date the Army has inducted 100 K9 Vajra gun systems and Rajnath Singh-headed DAC has granted approval for procurement of additional 100 K9 Vajra.  Sources said, the process has been initiated and a request for proposal (RFP) will be issued very shortly. “There will be no trials for the fresh guns. The vendor would only have to submit the commercial bid and then cost will be negotiated.”

The initial lot of the K9 Guns was meant for deployment in the deserts. But, the new Guns will be coming with winterisation kits to protect the battery, lubricants, oil among others from freezing in the sub-zero temperature. Sources added one Regiment of Dhanush (155 mm/45 Calibre)has been inducted and the second regiment will come up by March 2023. Indian Army had inked a deal to procure 114 Dhanush 155 mm/45-calibre towed howitzer with a strike range of 38 km in 2019.

The Gun System is being made by Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh based Ordnance Factory Board and “It has been electronically and mechanically upgraded on the basis of the first phase of the Transfer of Technology deal under the Bofors contract of the late 1980s.”