FEARSOME FIREPOWER

Conclusion of a formal contract for 307 155mm/52 calibre ATAGS howitzers, a boost to Indigenous artillery development

- MIKE RAJKUMAR

The Indian Army is slowly but surely moving ahead with the long-overdue modernisation of its artillery systems. In what is a major milestone in the development of indigenous high-calibre artillery systems in India, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) inked contracts in March for the procurement of 155mm/52-calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) and High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) 6x6 Gun Towing Vehicles with Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), respectively.

The deal worth 6,900 crore will involve the supply of 307 155mm/52 calibre ATAGS howitzers along with 327 High Mobility 6x6 Gun Towing Vehicles. The new artillery pieces will be used to equip 15 Artillery Regiments. This will add to seven and five army artillery regiments, which are equipped with the BAE Systems M777 A2 UltraLight Howitzer (ULH) and Hanwha Aerospace L&T K9 'Vajra' tracked Self-Propelled Gun. "The 155 mm/52 Calibre ATAGS will replace the vintage and smaller calibre guns and enhance the artillery capabilities of the Indian Army. The procurement of this gun system marks a significant milestone in the modernisation of the Artillery Regiments, enhancing operational readiness," an MoD spokesperson stated, adding, "ATAGS, renowned for its exceptional lethality, will play a crucial role in bolstering the Army's firepower by enabling precise and longrange strikes." The ATAGS howitzer also features an indigenous content of 85 per cent.