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It shapes the battlefield by providing battlefield transparency and degradation.
Further it undertakes punitive fire assaults which pulverise the objectives, resulting
in destruction of the enemy which eases the task of assaulting troops exponentially.
Operational fires undertaken during the Kargil conflict in 1999 paved the way
for the capture of critical enemy localities. Viewing the current threat from
its adversaries, there is a need to modernise Indian Army’s guns, rockets, missiles,
ammunition, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (SATA) equipment to enable preparedness
for a two-front war. Any modernisation of equipment must result in equipment ratios
of 30 per cent state-of-the-art, 30 per cent of which is current and possibly
undergoing an upgrade or its first overhaul and the remaining which is in the
final stages, and would be obsolete in about five to seven years. It is pertinent
to note that both China and Pakistan are modernising their artillery. Accordingly,
the Indian Artillery must be modernised expeditiously. Status
of the Artillery’s Modernisation The Indian Artillery currently operates
in a Network Centric Warfare (NCW) environment. In NCW, Artillery shapes the battle
field, degrades enemy’s war waging capability, destroys his field defences, communication
sites, logistics echelons thereby paralysing him and thus accomplishing its mission.
The Regiment of Artillery is currently equipped with a variety of surveillance
devices, Guns, Mortars, Rockets and Missiles. The surveillance devices are a part
of the Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiments. The devices currently held
comprise the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which are of four types. These are
the Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE), Heron UAV and Short Range UAVs Searcher
Mk I, Searcher Mk II as also four indigenously built Nishant UAVs. These UAVs
have been operationally optimised and they are an extremely useful tool of surveillance.
Our current holdings are minimal and their numbers need to be enhanced. The SATA
units are currently equipped with Medium Range Battlefield Surveillance Radars
(MRBFSR) and Weapon Locating Radars (WLR). The MRBFSR currently held is the Isreali
ELM-2140 which is able to detect tanks, vehicles and troops. The WLR currently
held is the US ANTPQ-37 which has been optimised with a reasonable degree of success.
Further SATA units are equipped with Long Range Reconnaissance and Observation
System (LORROS). This equipment has excellent day and night surveillance capability
and has proved its effectiveness in operational areas. The SATA units also have
a passive Weapon Locating System known as Sound Ranging. The system currently
held is old and needs to be replaced by the latest equipment. As regards
Guns the Artillery is equipped with Field, Medium, Self Propelled, Light and Medium
Regiments. The Field Regiments possess either 105 mm Indian Field Gun/Light Field
Gun or 122 mm Field Howitzer. The Medium Regiments possess 130 mm Medium Gun,155
mm Bofors Medium Gun (39 calibre) and a few regiments of Soltam Guns (155 mm 45
calibre). The Self Propelled Regiments are equipped with 130 mm Catapult and the
Light Regiments are equipped with 120 mm Mortars. There is also a Heavy Mortar
Regiment equipped with 160 mm Mortars. As a matter of interest, 155 mm globally
are available based on the length of barrel in three varieties, 39 calibre, 45
calibre and 52 calibre. The Artillery is also holding rockets and missiles. The
Rocket Regiments are equipped with 122 mm GRAD BM-21 rockets, 214 mm Pinaka rockets
and 300 mm Smerch Rockets. The Missile Regiments are equipped with the Super Sonic
Cruise Missile BrahMos which has a range of 290 km. Apart from this, the
Artillery holds a variety of ammunition to include High Explosive, Smoke, Illuminating,
Cargo, Krasnopol Precision Guided Munition (PGM), Terminally Guided Sub Munition
and Fuel Air Explosives. While its surveillance Equipment, rockets and missiles
are modern; its guns and ammunition are reaching obsolescence and need to be replaced
at the earliest. The Regiment has also started the process of inducting Artillery
Combat Command and Control System for state-of-theart communications between the
Observation Posts and Guns. Artillery equipment needs to be profiled in
accordance with the terrain on which it is to be employed and the operational
role of the formation to which it is affiliated. Based on the terrain and role,
there would be need for multifarious equipment such as the towed gun, Self Propelled
(Track), Self Propelled (Wheeled), Mounted Gun System (MGS), Ultra Light Howitzer
and Mortars. While all these weapon systems would be used for close support, there
would be a need to reinforce them with rockets and missiles. 
The
Artillery profile has correctly analysed the need to have 155 mm (52 Calibre)
as the main equipment to replace the 105 mm Indian Field Gun, 105 mm Light Field
Gun and the 122 mm Howitzer. A Divisional Artillery Brigade would be equipped
with possibly four such regiments along with a Light Regiment. The 122 mm Howitzer
has become obsolete and currently there are no spares available. Similarly the
Ordnance Factory Board has stopped producing the 105 mm Indian Field Gun and is
currently manufacturing only the Light Field Gun. The trials for the 155 mm (52
calibre) had begun more than a decade ago starting from the beginning of the current
millennium. The latest series of trials have also now concluded in which two guns
participated. These are the 155 mm Nexter from France and 155 mm Gun from Elbit,
Israel. Both these equipment are under General Staff evaluation. Overall
there is a cumulative requirement of 2,820 artillery pieces in Towed, Mounted,
Self-Propelled (SP) (Track and Wheeled) and Ultra Light Howitzers. Apart from
these there is a need for additional surveillance equipment, Smerch Rocket Regiments
for the mountains and steep dive BrahMos missiles for the higher altitudes. The
Ultra Light Howitzer from BAE system is resting at the Contract stage due to pricing
problems. Further, the Request for Proposal (RfP) is being issued for 814 Mounted
Gun Systems. As regards UAVs, two additional troops of Heron are being inducted.
Three regiments of BrahMos supersonic missiles have been inducted in the Indian
Army and an additional regiment with steep dive capability is being contracted
for high altitudes. However, the need of the hour is to speed up the acquisition
process as the equipment currently held needs almost immediate replacement. Indian
Companies to the Fore There are many Indian companies involved in the manufacture
of 155 mm Guns with foreign assistance. Tatas have manufactured a 155 mm (52 calibre)
Mounted Gun System possibly with the help of a South African Company, L&T are
manufacturing with the help of Nexter in France and Bharat Forge have constructed
a 155 mm Gun with help possibly from Austria and has a consortium with Elbit of
Israel. Apart from this, DRDO is developing an Advanced Artillery Gun and has
assisted OFB in mounting the 130 mm Gun on the Arjun chassis to provide an alternative
to the Catapult. All these Guns need to be trial evaluated and thereafter these
could be offered for user trials. However, proving any Gun is a long process which
the Companies are well aware. It is to the credit of Tatas and L&T that they have
manufactured the Pinaka Multi Launcher Rocket system indigenously. There
are ranges available for testing of these guns but the procedure for testing needs
to be formalised. It is indeed creditable that the up gunning of the 130 mm to
155 mm is being undertaken as a Buy and Make Indian project by our companies.
This would be an upgunned 155 mm (45 calibre) on a 130 mm carriage. Solutions
for developing Artillery Guns in India The process involving construction
of a Gun entails manufacturing a barrel, the mounting and Carriage (Platform)
as also state-of-the-art autonomous sighting system. Out of all these components
the most difficult part is the barrel which needs to be auto frettaged to enable
it to withstand high pressure of up to 20,000 g which is developed when a shell
is fired. A barrel during war may have to undertake sustained fire of about 200
-300 shells in a 24 hour cycle. Apart from the auto frettage equipment, the metal
used for the 155 mm barrel needs to have very high degree of elasticity. Further
the recoil systems particularly for a long barrel like the 155 mm (52 calibre)
need correct designing to absorb the stress of firing and get the barrel safely
back to its original position. The carriage and mountings need accurate designing
to hold the barrel correctly at angles of elevation ranging from about minus three
degrees to 70 degrees. The sighting system must be autonomous with the capability
to automatically lay the barrel for all angles of Azimuth and Elevation. To add
to these components there is a requirement to make the Gun mobile to shoot and
thereafter scoot to evade enemy’s Counter Bombardment. This leads to the addition
of an Auxiliary Propulsion Unit (APU) which would be needed with all modern Guns.
The APU also assists in loading, laying, ramming and closing as well as opening
the breech block. All components have to be harmonised to make it a fool-proof,
fail-safe mechanism. It is undoubtedly a complex process and possibly there are
just a score of manufacturers who really can undertake the process. 
The
credit goes to the Directorate General of Artillery and OFB for developing a 155
mm (45 calibre) Gun. The Gun known as Dhanush has been trial-evaluated, and is
likely to be inducted shortly. It is a matter of pride that the Gun has achieved
a range of 42 km in high altitude. The Gun has been fabricated from the knowledge
obtained from the Transfer of Technology (ToT) documents obtained while procuring
the Bofors Gun. Approximately 444 pieces of this equipment is to be inducted on
acceptance of the developed equipment. Accordingly, a state-of-the-art 155 mm
can be manufactured indigenously but with foreign assistance. The same is true
of automobiles, aircraft, ships and space craft wherein we have undertaken indigenous
manufacture with assistance from foreign companies. Viewing our existing requirement
this could be undertaken by either the private or public sector. Alternatively
a Public Private Partnership (PPP) could be undertaken like the 214 mm Multi Barrel
Rocket Launcher Pinaka. This is developed by DRDO and manufactured by TATA and
L&T. Conclusion: The Way Ahead The Regiment
of Artillery needs to expedite its modernisation process particularly with regard
to Guns and Ammunition. All our Guns are more than 25 years old and need to be
replaced. The first platform likely to be inducted would possibly be the 155 mm
M777 Ultra Light Howitzer (39 calibre) on a Foreign Military Sales Programme from
the United States. These would be about 145 pieces which would enable about eight
regiments to be equipped. These Guns would be an asset for the Mountain Strike
Corps being raised shortly. The next on the list would be the 155 mm 45 calibre
to be manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board based on Transfer of Technology
Documents received during the initial deal with Bofors. The trials are complete
and efforts are on to indent 444 Guns to replace the existing field guns, trials
are also complete for the Self Propelled Gun and the 155 mm (52 calibre) Towed
Gun. Request for Proposal is being issued for the 155 mm (52 calibre) Mounted
Gun System. Based on the urgency, these Guns would undergo trials and likely be
ready for induction in another five years. The process of induction would possibly
be spread over 10 years and by about 2030; we would have a new set of Guns and
equipment which would replace our existing Guns. Our Mortars need to be replaced
and a Request for Proposal needs to be forwarded. As regards ammunition there
is a need to seriously examine the introduction of PGMs to ensure destruction
of targets by accurate fire. The Regiment of Artillery needs to seriously consider
this aspect and evaluate its requirements considering the prevalent operational
environment. Further, Sensor Fuzed Ammunition needs to be procured for precise
engagements of mechanised targets. The Smerch Rocket System for the Mountains
needs to be acquired. As also BrahMos with steep dive capability, which has already
been successfully trial-evaluated needs to be inducted in the high-altitude areas.
Our surveillance equipment needs to be beefed up with additional equipment as
also there is a dire need for Satellites, Aerostats and Loitering Missiles. The
Artillery Combat Command and Control System (ACCCS) will be combining these elements
to provide Synergised Firepower. | 
