The Gun
The Dhanush, a towed howitzer with a strike range of 38-km, has been developed by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Kolkata, after going through the design and voluminous documents running into more than 12,000 pages which were delivered to India under the first phase of Transfer of Technology (ToT) as part of the scandal hit Bofors gun deal in late 80s. The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) used the blueprint of the original Bofors gun to make an upgraded, and practically, a new gun for the Indian Army. The Dhanush is an upgraded version of the Bofors FH-77B which thankfully proved its mettle as the game changing weapon in the victorious Kargil war with Pakistan. Costing about Rs 14 crore apiece, Dhanush is comparable to most current generation artillery weapons systems which are in use worldwide.
The original Bofors gun used by the Indian Army is a 155mm/39 caliber gun with a range of 28 kilometers. The Dhanush developed by OFB is 155mm/45 caliber gun with a range of 38 kilometers. Caliber of a howitzer signifies the length of the barrel of the gun, a gun with a bore diameter of 155mm and a barrel length of 155 X 39 will be equal to 6,045mm. A 155mm/45 caliber gun will have a barrel length of 6,975mm. The longer barrel length helps the shell of the gun to travel longer distances. The Dhanush can outgun the original Swedish Bofors 155mm howitzer in range, accuracy, reliability, angle of fire and shoot-and-scoot capabilities. Equipped with computerized fire control system, the Dhanush can fire 8 rounds a minute.
A Comparative Analysis between the Bofors & Dhanush Artillery Guns
The Dhanush was first test fired in December 2011. It has a very high indigenous content with the barrel being made by OFB. Six prototypes of the guns have been produced. The Dhanush has been tested in the deserts of Rajasthan for the summer trials where the temperature was 45 degree Celsius and in Sikkim for the winter trials where the temperature was -15 degree Celsius.
However, Dhanush suffered a temporary setback in August 2013 when the barrel of the fourth prototype burst during tests in Pokhran, Rajasthan. Investigations revealed that the reason was not due to any problems with the quality of the barrel but due to the defective ammunition that was fired. The shell used for that test was 12 years old.
To jog our memory, ideally towed guns are for regular use in plains and minor mountains; tracked or self-propelled guns are mounted on armoured vehicles to support tank formations, wheeled or self-propelled guns are for fast-moving, non-armoured formations, ultra light guns are used specifically in highly mountainous areas to enable airlifting to positions and mounted gun system is a regular 155mm gun fixed on a high mobility vehicle.
Planned Acquisition
The Indian Army is presently equipped with 105mm Indian Field Gun, 105mm Light Field Gun and the Russian 122mm guns. The Indian Army plans to standardize the equipment profile to a 155mm towed gun system from the current multifarious caliber composition to a single caliber inventory. It stands to gain advantages in terms of streamlined logistics, easy maintenance and repairs and most importantly standardization of ammunition.
The Indian army needs 814 Mounted Guns, 1,580 Towed Guns, 100 tracked Self Propelled guns, 180 wheeled self propelled guns and 145 Ultra Light Howitzers. Presently DRDO is developing the 155mm/52 calber Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) which will replace the 155mm/45 caliber Dhanush in the future. The ATAGS is the highly advanced version of Dhanush. As per generally accepted gunnery rules; its proven that a 155mm/52 caliber is an optimum technical configuration in achieving maximum range targetting with highest accuracy.
The light-weight long-range automated gun is being developed by DRDO with private participation. The gun is projected be ready for production by 2019 after undergoing rigorous development and testing.
The Game Changer
Dhanush as an artillery system has proved to be one of the best howitzers in the world. The test results is testimony to this fact. The trials saw some 2,000 rounds being successfully fired from the howitzer in different climatic conditions in snowy, desert and hostile areas. Some of the salient features of the Gun is its capability to target at long ranges, it incorporates autonomous laying features with the most sophisticated suite of electronic and computing algorithms in the world. Overall the indigenous composition of the gun is an impressive 87 percent, a clear sign that skillful planning & dedication can bring about amazing results in the areas of indigenization and self-reliance in the defence sector.
(Adapted from various Internet Sources)
Admin - IDN
Indian Defence News: IDN TAKE: DHANUSH - The 'BAAP' of All Guns
