India’s Defence Ministry Secures Major Deal for Locally-Made Heavy Artillery Guns

Rs 6,900 Crore Deal for Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS)

NEW DELHI: In a historic first, the Indian defence ministry has signed a contract worth approximately Rs 6,900 crore for the production of 307 advanced towed artillery gun systems (ATAGS) and 327 high mobility 6×6 gun-towing vehicles. This agreement involves private sector companies Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems, marking the first-ever deal for such indigenous heavy-duty howitzers.

Modernizing the Army’s Artillery Regiments

• The acquisition of ATAGS represents a significant step forward in modernizing the Army’s artillery regiments.
• These advanced systems will enhance operational readiness along the borders with China and Pakistan.
• Known for their exceptional lethality, ATAGS will play a vital role in strengthening the Army’s firepower by enabling precise and long-range strikes.

Manufacturing and Components

• Bharat Forge will manufacture 60% of the guns, having emerged as the L-1 (lowest bidder).
• Tata Advanced Systems will be responsible for producing the remaining 40%.
• Over 65% of ATAGS components are sourced domestically, including key subsystems such as the barrel, muzzle brake, breech mechanism, firing and recoil system, and ammunition handling mechanism.

Features and Capabilities

• ATAGS boast excellent accuracy, consistency, mobility, reliability, and automation.
• They are equipped with all-electric drive technology, ensuring longer maintenance-free reliable operations.
• ATAGS can fire five-round bursts, outperforming other contemporary foreign guns that can only manage three-round bursts.

Field Trials and Induction

• The development of ATAGS began in 2013 and underwent a series of protracted field trials over the years.
• In 2021-22, the winter trials were successfully completed at high-altitude areas in Sikkim, followed by summer user-firing tests at the Pokhran field firing ranges.
• The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted the operational utility of long-range, high-volume firepower, leading to the progressive induction of howitzers, missiles, rocket systems, and loiter munitions by the Army.

Recent Procurements

• In December 2021, the defence ministry signed a Rs 7,629 crore contract with L&T in collaboration with South Korean Hanwha Defence for the procurement of 100 K-9 Vajra-T self-propelled tracked gun systems.
• In February 2022, the MoD signed contracts worth Rs 10,147 crore for high-explosive pre-fragmented extended rockets (45-km range) and area denial munitions (37-km) for the indigenous Pinaka multi-launch artillery rocket systems being inducted by the Army.

India’s History of Artillery Gun Imports

India has a history of recurring scandals in the import of artillery guns, from the Swedish Bofors in the mid-1980s to the South African Denel in 2005 and Singapore Technology Kinetics in 2009. These incidents have repeatedly hindered the Army’s modernization efforts.