Type Towed howitzer Used by Indian Army Designed 2010-2014 | Place of origin India Designer ARDE | |
Manufacturer Tata Power SED
Kalyani Group | ||
The DRDO 155 mm/52 calibre artillery gun is a towed howitzer being developed for the Indian Army.
Contents
Development
The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) project was started in 2013 by DRDO to replace older guns in service in the Indian Army with a modern 155mm artillery gun. Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) partnered with Kalyani Group, Tata Power and OFB for this purpose.
The development of the gun took about 4 years and is expected to be complete by March 2017. The delay in completion of the project was attributed to realization of ordnance and recoil system and supply issue with manufacturing of sub-systems. The gun is expected to start user trials in 2017 and production is expected to start in 2019.
It was first publicly showcased at 68th Republic Day parade on 26 January 2017.
Design
The gun comprises of barrel, breech mechanism, muzzle brake and recoil mechanism to fire 155 mm calibre ammunitions with a firing range of 40km. It has an all electric drive to ensure reliability and minimum maintenance over a long period of time. It has advanced features like high mobility, quick deployability, auxiliary power mode, advanced communication system, automatic command and control system with night capability in direct fire mode. The gun is two ton lighter than guns in the same category and is designed to provide better accuracy and range and is capable of firing five successive rounds in short duration. It is also compatible with ACCCS-Shakti command and control network of the Indian Army.