Indian army to upgrade major firepower to counter China.
The army has already operationalised its first Dhanush regiment along the China border, and is now looking at raising a second regiment with 18 guns by March 2023. The Indian Army is set to induct more artillery guns, longer range rockets and loitering munition to bolster its capabilities along the China border, people familiar with the development said on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity.
India and China have been locked in a stand-off along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh since May 2020. The army’s overarching artillery capability boost will involve the induction of more 155mm/52-calibre tracked self-propelled K9 Vajra-T guns, additional 155mm/45-calibre Dhanush towed guns, the new 155mm/52-calibre advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) and upgraded guns named Sharang, said one of persons cited above on the eve of Gunners’ Day. (Here, 155 mm denotes the diameter of the shell and calibre relates to barrel length.)
Artillery regiments are also on course to induct longer range Pinaka rocket systems, precision ammunition, loitering munition, unmanned aerial vehicles and reconnaissance and observation systems to scale up their capabilities, said a second person monitoring the army’s artillery modernisation.The focus is on modernisation through indigenisation. All gun systems procured in the last five years or being procured, are indigenous, except the M777 ultra-light howitzers imported from the US. Some important capability upgrade is planned in the coming years,” he said.The army is set to initiate the process of buying 100 more K9 Vajra-T guns, manufactured by private sector defence major Larsen & Toubro with technology transfer from South Korean firm Hanwha Techwin (HTW) HT has learnt.
“The Dhanush gun system has been inducted and operationalised in high altitude along the northern borders (with China). The gun is an electronically and mechanically upgraded version of the Bofors gun. It represents a huge step towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing,” the first person added.
