The Indian Army has been undertaking several measures to modernise its artillery and improve firepower, with the induction of indigenous systems like the 155 mm, 45-calibre towed artillery system Dhanus. The Indian Army intends is to transform the force's artillery brigades into networked, high-precision strike forces. Efforts are underway to develop smart munitions and extend the range of ammunition to better the lethality of the artillery brigades of the Indian Army.
In a recent column in The Diplomat, Col. Ajai Shukla (Retd) argued that the Indian Army, which plans to increase its regiments to 270 from the current 226, still has a large gap to cover in artillery warfare.
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India deploys a large number of multi-barrelled rocket launcher (MBRL) units, acquired four units of BrahMos cruise missiles, and operates sophisticated surveillance and target acquisition (SATA) systems. According to him, however, owing to multiple reasons, including the "continuing shortfall in acquiring guns from the international market," the Indian Army's firepower continues to remain limited.
The Indian Army has acquired five regiments—100 units—of the K-9 Vajra, a 155mm/52-calibre tracked self-propelled gun, manufactured by Larsen & Toubro. These are designed for the Army’s mechanised strike corps. However, this induction falls short, as each corps requires four medium SP regiments of 20 guns each, highlighting a clear capability gap, resulting in the Indian Army and the defence ministry considering possible procurement of 100–200 mobile self-propelled (SP) howitzers.
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Further, the expert pointed out that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with two private sector firms, is developing an indigenous 155 mm howitzer.
The expert suggests four ways to improve the performance of the Indian Army's guns.
He points out that one of the ways to increase the range and capability of artillery is to increase the chamber size, as this would allow more propellant to be used, pushing shells farther. "The bigger a gun’s chamber, the more charge can be exploded in it and, therefore, the further it can hurl a projectile," he writes.
Another way, according to him, is to increase precision, as more accurate guns require fewer rounds to hit targets effectively, improving efficiency and reducing ammunition use.
Adding a ramjet to the projectile can extend its range without changing the gun’s size or barrel length, he writes, adding that the DRDO is already conducting research in this area.
Using advanced propellants like bi-modular charge systems (BMCS) enhances lethality, with higher charge levels (up to Charge 7) usable in advanced guns like ATAGS, he adds.