For better shoot and scoot ability, Army revises artillery plan
Ajay Banerjee
New Delhi, September 16
Drawing lessons from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Indian Army has revised its artillery modernisation programme to have greater number of mobile (truck-mounted) artillery guns, better surveillance and targeting ability, induction of niche technology, longer ranges for rockets and guided ammunitions for precision strikes. The revised plan means the Army is looking at some 300 guns mounted on a truck for ‘shoot and scoot’ ability. With the enemy possessing multiple surveillance devices, the ability to fire and move away is vital.
5-point programme
- Ensure technologically superior platforms
- Development of rockets and missile regiments with longer range and precision
- Development and modernisation of munitions with higher range and accuracy
- Reorganisation of SATA units for efficient surveillance, data management
- Development of effective sensor-shooter networks and processes
“In our revised artillery profile, we are going in for more mounted gun systems,” sources in the military establishment said. A request for proposal (RFP) for such a gun has elicited an encouraging response, sources said. So far, the Army does not have truck-mounted systems.
The Surveillance and Target Acquisition (SATA) units are being reorganised for efficient surveillance, data management, coordination and targeting tasks. The Regiment of Artillery is planning the induction of these niche technologies. This will include induction of equipment UAVs, loitering weapons, swarm drones, weapon-locating radars and battlefield surveillance radars. Artillery guns will be networked to allow faster reaction times. The Artillery Combat Command and Control System (ACCCS) will have the battlefield surveillance system (BSS) which has passed trials and is likely to be introduced shortly, sources said. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) will implement the project over two years.
In case of new inductions, the Army has issued an RFP to Indian vendors for sourcing 300 advanced towed artillery gun systems (ATAGS). The two vendors have to respond by November. “We are keen to have ATAGS as we have already trial-evaluated the guns,” sources said. The Army is also going in for 100 more K9 Vajra guns and hopes to conclude the contract soon.
Some 300 Sharang guns are being up-gunned and almost 25 per cent have been done. The Army is now revising a contract for speeding it up.
