On Monday, Delhi-headquartered Indian defence and aerospace manufacturer, SMPP Limited, through its subsidiary SMPP Ammunition, entered into a "teaming agreement" with Franco-German defence group KNDS to supply the Katana family of ammunition to the Indian Army.
Under the agreement, which was signed on November 20 at the Milipol Exhibition in Paris, the two sides "will focus on offering the Katana family of ammunition to the Indian Army under the 'Make in India' policy, strengthening India's capability in advanced artillery ammunition and addressing a key operational requirement for the Indian armed forces," an official statement read.
The Katana is a 155 mm precision-guided munition designed to deliver high accuracy and extended range. According to the statement, the Indan Army has an "extensive and urgent requirement for 155 mm artillery systems and ammunition." The agreement is expected to address the critical operational needs of the country’s modern artillery systems.
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The Katana family product includes Katana Ballistic Range (BR), Extended Range (ER) and High Precision (HP) with laser seeker ammunition."The Katana family of ammunition offers a full-calibre precision guided munition with extended capabilities to address armoured threats with decametric-level precision and leverages a hybrid guidance system that combines multi-constellation receiver (GNSS) and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to ensure accuracy across diverse terrains and combat environments," the statement said.
A future variant is expected to incorporate a semi-active laser seeker to achieve metric-level precision for even more demanding mission profiles.
The fire-and-forget capability further enhances its effectiveness in complex operational scenarios, including densely populated urban areas.
According to KIDS, Katana is designed for pinpoint accuracy and extended range, and ensures first-shot and first-kill capability, even in the most challenging combat environments.
Katana, which is equipped with multiple guidance systems, including GPS, inertial navigation, and semi-active laser, can adapt to changing battlefield environments and achieve target strikes with sub-meter precision. Its range, exceeding 40 kilometers, makes it an optimal choice for precise, long-distance engagements while ensuring minimal collateral damage.