NEW DELHI: After ahead deploying howitzers, missiles, rocket techniques and loiter munitions alongside the China frontier, India is now stepping up induction of extra long-range, high-volume precision firepower that may show decisive in battles in addition to increasing its indigenous ammunition vendor base to counter world provide chain disruptions.
With classes being learnt from the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict, through which 80% of the casualties have been attributable to artillery hearth, Military’s director normal of artillery Lt-Normal Adosh Kumar mentioned the drive will induct 100 extra Ok-9 Vajra self-propelled tracked gun techniques, as additionally extra Dhanush howitzers, Sharang weapons and Pinaka multi-launch rocket techniques.
Some `winterised’ Ok-9 Vajra regiments are already deployed in jap Ladakh, out of the 100 such weapons inducted earlier for Rs 4,366 crore, amid the persevering with navy confrontation with China, which is into its fifth 12 months now.
The round Rs 8,500 crore contract for 307 new indigenous superior towed artillery gun techniques (ATAGS), which have a strike vary as much as 48-km, can also be set to be inked quickly. Furthermore, trials will start subsequent 12 months for the deliberate induction of 300 `shoot-and-scoot’ mounted gun techniques and 400 `versatile’ towed artillery gun techniques.
DRDO can also be working to reinforce the vary, accuracy and lethality of the traditional Pralay ballistic missiles (400-km vary) and Nirbhay cruise missiles (1,000-km). Concurrently, DRDO is growing hypersonic missiles, which might be totally different from the already inducted 450-km vary BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
“With its correct and harmful firepower, artillery at present represents the true essence of navy energy in dominating the battlefield. We’re modernising at a tempo like by no means earlier than. Our mantra is ‘modernisation by indigenisation’,” Lt-Gen Kumar mentioned.
Lengthy-range vectors within the form of indigenous Pinaka rocket techniques, for example, have added “extra punch and lethality” to the arsenal. The Military will induct six extra Pinaka regiments so as to add to the present 4, even because the strike vary of the rockets is now being prolonged from the unique 38-km to 75-km, with the high-altitude trials already over.
“The Pinaka is among the greatest rocket techniques on the planet and is being exploited extensively. Our intention is to first double the vary, after which quadruple it. We’re taking a look at 120-km, 300-km ranges,” he mentioned.
Within the area of loiter munitions, a ‘Make-II’ class venture (prototype improvement funded by the business) has evoked a “superb response” from non-public firms and start-ups. “Our intention is loiter munitions with 40-100-km vary to interact targets in operational depth of an adversary,” he mentioned.
A “lot of emphasis” can also be being positioned on indigenous manufacturing of various sorts of ammunition, with diversification of the seller base. “We had been earlier depending on just one manufacturing company for 155mm artillery ammunition. Now, manufacturing of all varieties of 155mm ammunition has been thrown open to the private and non-private sector,” Lt-Gen Kumar mentioned.
The Military will conduct trials of various kinds of ammunition by numerous private and non-private sector firms in Oct-Nov. The drive can also be on the lookout for induction of futuristic ammunition, which incorporates “space denial munitions” in addition to the 1.15 lakh “nub-less artillery projectiles” already authorised by the defence ministry. “Numerous initiatives have additionally been initiated to extend {our capability} in precision-guided and terminally guided ammunition,” he mentioned.
