Indian Defense
Army Working With OFB, DRDO On Indigenous Artillery Gun Programs, Says Lt. Gen. Chawla
DRDO’s Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System
Hand-holding to resolve issues with indigenous Dhanush, towed artillery guns, says Director General of Artillery
by Dinakar Peri
Improved roads in border areas and induction of Chinook heavy lift helicopters will enable the Army to quickly deploy artillery guns to forward areas, said Lt. Gen. T.K. Chawla, Director General of Artillery on Monday.
On artillery modernisation, he said the Army is working closely and doing “lot of hand holding” with Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to resolve issues with the indigenous Dhanush and towed artillery guns to turn them into “robust and reliable” systems.
“Since its design and development project it follows Preliminary Service Quality Requirements (PSQR) evolved by DRDO and Army. During the trials some parameters have been achieved and some which need further improvement. These concerns have been shared with DRDO,” Lt. Gen. Chawla said in an interaction with select journalists on the eve of Gunners Day, observed on September 28.
The Advanced Towed Array Gun System (ATAGS) is a 155mm, 52 calibre heavy artillery gun jointly developed by the DRDO in partnership with Bharat Forge and the Tata Group.
“Firing trials were held recently in July-August in Pokhran. DRDO is working with its development partners in order to achieve these firing and non-firing parameters,” he said while stating that a timeline cannot be given as it was a design and development project.
On the Dhanush artillery gun being developed by the OFB based on the original drawings of the Swedish Bofors guns, Lt. Gen. Chawla said there are few teething issues which they need to iron out but it is was good work in progress.
“We as the user are looking forward to it fructifying sooner than later. As long as they are able to iron out those issues, we can go down to so some confidence firing that is what has been agree to with OFB,” he stated. The Army has already given an indent for 114 Dhanush guns with the OFB.
A lot of hand holding has been done by the Army, both for ATAGS and Dhanush, he added.
In August 2018 the Defence Acquisition Council had accorded approval for the purchase of 150 of these guns at an approximate ₹3,365 crore which would be split between the two companies. There is an overall requirement of 1,580 of these guns.
“Border Roads [Organisation] is doing lot of effort to build the network in far flung areas. I think this effort will continue and we can get guns in more areas,” Lt. Gen. Chawla.
Robust Equipment
Lt. Gen. Chawla was in Eastern Ladakh recently and visited the gun positions and interacted with the troops deployed there to motivate them in the backdrop of the standoff with China.
“The 105mm field guns are still very much robust with very high angle of firing which is so very essential in the mountains. Bulk of the deployment in Eastern Ladakh is largely of this calibre,” Lt. Gen. Chawla said, adding that as and when the other guns move in enough numbers, they will be replacing the 105mm guns.
The Army has also deployed its latest M777 Ultra Light Howitzers (ULH) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The Army had contracted 145 M777 guns and so far three regiments are operational. The fourth regiment is the process of acquiring equipment and under conversation, he stated.
Stating that the ULH give that extra advantage of mobility due to their lighter weight, Lt. Gen. Chawla said training is “going on in moving guns from one sector to another with the Chinook helicopters.”
In addition, the Army has also inducted 100 K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzers and Lt. Gen. Chawla said the Army is considering the procurement of some more. The Army has recently issued a tender for procurement of over 800 mounted gun systems, which he said, were especially suited for the mountains due to their mobility.
Under the Field Artillery Rationalisation Program (FARP) promulgated after the Kargil conflict in 1999, the Army envisaged procuring close to 3,000 guns of various types. Under this the towed guns will be the mainstay of the Army and artillery is being standardised to 155mm standard.
The solid-fuelled K-4 missile is being developed by DRDO to arm the country’s nuclear-powered submarines in the shape of INS Arihant and its under-development sister vessels. INS Arihant, which became fully operational in November 2018 to complete India’s nuclear triad, is currently armed with the much shorter K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.
“The K-4 is now virtually ready for its serial production to kick-off. The two tests have demonstrated its capability to emerge straight from underwater and undertake its parabolic trajectory,” said a source.
India has the land-based Agni missiles, with the over 5,000-km Agni-V inter-continental ballistic missile now in the process of being inducted, and fighter jets jury-rigged to deliver nuclear weapons. But INS Arihant gives the country’s deterrence posture much more credibility because nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles are considered the most secure, survivable and potent platforms for retaliatory strikes.
Once the K-4 missiles are inducted, they will help India narrow the gap with countries like the US, Russia and China, which have over 5,000-km range SLBMs. The K-4 missiles are to be followed by the K-5 and K-6 missiles in the 5,000-6,000 km range class.
The 6,000-ton INS Arihant, which is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core, in turn, is to be followed by INS Arighat, which was launched in 2017. The next generation of nuclear submarines, currently called S-4 and S-4*, will be much larger in size.
India has received clearance to upgrade 84 Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, which will result in 78% indigenization after the upgrade
In a significant step towards bolstering its military might with indigenously developed technology, India is poised to witness its Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets evolve into a domestic platform. Speaking at a recent lecture.
The upgrade program is being led by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in partnership with the Indian Air Force and other partners. The upgrade is expected to cost US$7.5 billion.
This initiative is a part of a larger effort by the Indian Air Force to modernize its ageing fleet. Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari asserted the critical role of an offensive air force as demonstrated in current global conflicts and emphasized India’s move towards an indigenized arsenal. To this end, the IAF has been proactive, from upgrading its Mirage 2000 to enhancing its MiG-29 fleet.
In summary, the IAF’s commitment to updating their combat forces with the latest technology, including shifting to fifth-generation fighter jets, ensures operational preparedness and a strong deterrence capability. The gradual indigenization of its air fleet marks a pivotal shift in India’s defence landscape, reducing dependency on foreign imports and fostering technological sovereignty.
According to unconfirmed reports, Armenia is a top contender for an export order for Akash SAM system manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
The Akash export version will also be slightly different from the one inducted by the armed forces. The 100-km range air-to-air Astra missiles, now entering production after successful trials from Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, also have “good export potential”, said sources.
Akash is a “tried, tested and successfully inducted systems”. Indian armed forces have ordered Akash systems worth Rs 24,000 crore over the years, and MoD inked a contract in Mar 2023 of over Rs 9,100 crores for improved Akash Weapon System
BDL is a government enterprise under the Ministry of Defence that was established in 1970. BDL manufactures surface-to-air missiles and delivers them to the Indian Army. BDL also offers its products for export.
Akash Weapon System
The AWS is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SRSAM) Air Defence System, indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). In order to meet aerial threats, two additional Regiments of AWS with Upgradation are being procured for Indian Army for the Northern borders. Improved AWS has Seeker Technology, Reduced Foot Print, 360° Engagement Capability and improved environmental parameters.
The project will give a boost to the Indian missile manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. The project has overall indigenous content of 82% which will be increased to 93% by 2026-27.
The induction of the improved AWS into the Indian Army will increase India’s self-reliance in Short Range Missile capability. This project will play a role in boosting the overall economy by avoiding outgo of precious foreign exchange to other countries, increasing employment avenues in India and encouraging Indian MSMEs through components manufacturing. Around 60% of the project cost will be awarded to the private industry, including MSMEs, in maintaining the supply chain of the weapon system, thereby creating large scale of direct and indirect employment.
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