Indian Army gives 105 mm Indian Field Gun a high-tech upgrade with automatic targeting

In a significant boost to the modernisation of the Indian Army’s artillery arm, the Army has upgraded its widely used 105 mm Indian Field Gun (IFG) with automatic gun-laying capability, enabling the weapon to aim and adjust fire through computerised systems instead of manual controls. 

The move is expected to improve the gun’s accuracy, response time and rate of fire, while bringing one of the Army’s long-serving artillery platforms closer to the capabilities seen in more advanced systems such as the FH-77B Bofors, K9 Vajra and M777 howitzer.

The gun has been modified to aim automatically, allowing the weapon to be laid on target through a computerised system instead of manually operated dials. The modification enables artillery crews to automatically calculate firing solutions and make quicker, more precise adjustments while engaging targets, the report said.

"The laying of the gun via the automatic gun-laying technology will improve the effectiveness of the gun. This new addition will improve the response time of fire units and make the guns more accurate. Faster engagement time will also help with increasing the rate of fire," Times of India quoted a source as saying.

According to the report, the move, which is part of the modernisation plan of India's armed forces, will make the 105 mm IFG—the mainstay of the Regiment of Artillery developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment—a much more lethal weapon.