Artillery Guns, Firing from 1971 India-Pakistan War till 2025

By Maj Gen (Retd) P K Chakravorty

New Delhi. The Regiment of Artillery consists of Guns, Missiles, Rockets, Mortars and Surveillance equipment.  All these synergise to destroy targets and achieve superiority of firepower in the battle field. Gun systems play an important role in destroying targets and decimating enemy artillery.

The Gun systems currently being viewed are 105 mm Indian Field Gun (IFG) & 105 mm Light Field Gun (LFG), 130 mm Medium Gun and its variants, 155 mm Bofors, K 9 Vajra, Ultra-Light Howitzer, Dhanush and Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS). To comprehend their capabilities, it is essential to describe their effectiveness. These Guns have proved their worth in all our operations ever since the independence.

105 mm Indian Field Gun and Light Field Gun

Currently these Made in India Guns are our mainstay and, deployed in adequate numbers along the long borders.

Gradually the Indian Field Gun (IFG), which was extensively used in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War with Pakistan, is being replaced by the improved Light Field Gun (LFG) which fires a projectile to ranges greater than 17 Km. It has a reasonable rate of fire and is capable of being deployed easily in all types of terrain.

It weighs 2380 Kg but retains the same rate of fire as the IFG.

The Government has encouraged the private sector to come in, and the Kalyani Strategic Systems is modifying it as a Mounted Gun System on an All-Terrain 4×4 wheeled chassis. This has already replaced the 25 pounders, and over a period of time, it will have to be replaced by the 155 mm Gun.

130 mm Medium Gun

This is a Medium Gun which was manufactured in the Soviet Union in 1946 and used during the Second World War. It entered the Indian Army and played a pivotal role in the 1971 War followed by frequent firings on the Line of Control, the Kargil Conflict, Operation Meghdoot and recently, in the Operation Sindoor too. A sturdy Gun which with effective firepower.

It ranges effectively up to 27 Km and is currently being gradually upgraded to 155 mm.

A few Guns were upgraded to 155 mm by Israel’s Soltam.

These were 180 Guns which were upgraded under Project Karan and being a 45 calibre 155 mm Gun could range up to 39 Km. The project was  suspended due to procurement issues.

The next project was Sharang which was handled by a Defence Public Sector Undertaking, Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), Kanpur. It involved upgrading three hundred 130 mm M-46 Artillery Guns to the 155/45 calibre. The goal was to enhance the range of the Guns from 27 Km to 39 Km, thereby significantly boosting the Army’s firepower. About 159 were delivered but due to some mechanical, electrical and metallurgical defects, the remaining procurement of 141 guns was stopped. Rectification steps are on.

155 mm

The155 mm caliber Gun would be the mainstay of the Indian Artillery and it has numerous versions which are in Service or in the process of induction. As a part of the Field Artillery Rationalisation plan of 2000, the 155 mm would gradually become the standard Gun of the Artillery by 2042.    Details are:

• Swedish 155 mm FH 77 B often referred as the Bofors. This Gun was procured from Sweden in 1986 and 410 of these weapons have proved their outstanding mettle on the Line of Control, Siachen Glacier and were effectively used during the 1999 Kargil War to hit the Pakistani troops hidden high and behind the high mountains.

(Bofors was given a bad name unfortunately with late Prime Minister VP lying that “it fired backwards and killed own troops.” We won the Kargil War in fact mainly due to its precision firings. VP Singh’s allegations hit the Indian Armed Forces Acquisition and Modernization process for all the three Services. Bofors was the first Make in India project, coming with full Transfer of Technology, which was locked unfortunately for years due to his curse and its multiplication in the media. – Editor).

• The Bofors Gun, acquired in 1986, is still actively used by the Indian Army and its 39-calibre barrel has proved to be outstanding. It ranges about 30 Km with Base Bleed ammunition and the range would enhance in high altitude.
• 155 MM, 45 calibre Dhanush is an indigenously produced 155 mm Gun manufactured by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), previously a part of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). The first Gun was inducted in 2019 and currently two regiments are operational. The order is for 114 Gun systems. The sighting system is electronic and gradually the order would be met. The Gun’s firing range is 36 Km.
• K9 Vajra, is a state of the art, 155 mm/52 calibre tracked Self-propelled howitzer used by the Indian Army in plains, deserts and high altitude. It is an indigenous version of K9 Thunder manufactured by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) with Hanwha Defence technology of South Korea. The Base Bleed round ranges 41 Km. The performance has been credible, leading to an additional order of 100 Guns being placed to the existing quantity. With winterization kits, the self-propelled howitzer has proved to be extremely versatile.
• Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) is a towed 155 mm, 52 calibre howitzer developed for the Indian Army by Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Kalyani Strategic System Ltd. (KSSL). It has an impressive range of 40 km and has achieved a range of 48 Km during trials. The Indian Army has ordered 300 ATAGS which would be shortly inducted. Meanwhile, due to its versatility, the Gun is being exported to Europe. This Gun is a game changer for the Indian Artillery.
• Apart from these the Indian Army is procuring Mounted Gun System wherein the Gun would be mounted on aTractor (prime mover) and undertake quick movements and deployments. The plan is to have about 300 Mounted Gun Systems.
• The Army has also imported eight regiments of 155 mm Ultra-Light Howitzers from BAE System, United States. The Gun can be lifted by a Heavy helicopter like Chinook, which is with the Indian Air Force, and fires the Excalibur Precision Guided Munition (PGM).

Artillery Guns in Op Sindoor

Artillery Guns played a stellar role in Op Sindoor. Significantly, out of the nine targets taken on initially, seven were engaged by artillery Guns of the Indian Army and two by Indian Air Force.

The Pakistani targets were engaged with conventional as well as Smart Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) and Loitering Munitions. Thereafter the Artillery responded effectively to firing on the Line of Control and decimated Pakistani targets.

Artillery is currently integrating Drones with Guns enabling precise engagements of depth Targets. Every Observation Post Officer is being trained with Drones to ensure precise acquisition and engagement of targets.

Further development is on to enhance the range of 155 mm ammunition to a range of 60 Km. This could be Rocket Assistance or with use of Ramjet. Though at the preliminary stages, they would possibly lead us to enhanced ranges.

Conclusion

Guns are the colours of Indian Artillery. It is heartening to note the modernisation of existing Guns and suitable replacements taking their place. Firepower currently in the Indian Artillery also extends to rockets and missiles which makes the Arm a veritable potent force. Op Sindoor has witnessed only a cessation of hostilities.

Indian Army’s Guns and other systems are trained on the Pakistani positions to fire at the touch of a button.

(The author served as Dy Director General of Perspective Planning, Defebnce Attache in Vietnam, Adviser to BrahMos Aerospace, and Additional Director General, Artillery, at the Army Headquarters).