IDN TAKE: DHANUSH - The 'BAAP' of All Guns

[Zarvan]

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

 

[Manindra]

@Zarvan you should stop posting materials from stupid sites.
If 155/45 Dhanush is Baap of all guns then what would be 155/52 Howitzer called ?

 

[cloud_digger]

@Zarvan you should stop posting materials from stupid sites.
If 155/45 Dhanush is Baap of all guns then what would be 155/52 Howitzer called ?

Baap of all guns fielded by India would have been a more apt header.

 

[GURU DUTT]

@Zarvan you should stop posting materials from stupid sites.
If 155/45 Dhanush is Baap of all guns then what would be 155/52 Howitzer called ?

guns ke baap ka bbap

 

[fsayed]

Nice info on dhanush good job OFB

 

[GURU DUTT]

Nice info on dhanush good job OFB

but it is too heavy and too expensive and its production rate is way too less to make any real impact OFB should give private players TOT to make it in huge numbers and bring down its costs

 

[Arsalan]

It is a strange baap that was born in 2011 while its Kid, the bofors it is actually based a much much older design with its technology given to Indian in the 80s.

Matlab baap is decades younger then kid

Tora haat hola rakoo Zarvan bahi!!

 

[Pulsar]

If 155/45 Dhanush is Baap of all guns then what would be 155/52 Howitzer called ?

Kalyani Group company Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd (KSSL) and L&T are the only two Indian companies currently in contention for the towed artillery gun pie that is valued at around ₹15,000 crore.

Field trials for the 155-mm/52 caliber gun — one from the KSSL subsidiary BF-Elbit JV and the other from L&T and French defence major Nexter teaming — are nearing completion and the winner of the order is expected to be declared over the next few months.

The contract involves the supply of 1,500 towed artillery guns for the Indian Army, including 1,100 that must be produced indigenously under the ‘Make-in-India’ initiative.

The indigenous manufacture is expected to cut the cost of a gun by at least 25 per cent. The other 400 are to be delivered as complete units from the relevant overseas JV partner in three years’ time.

KSSL has set up a facility that can make 150 guns at Pune and also has land at Jejuri in Maharashtra where a new BF-Elbit facility will be established, Kalyani group Chairman Baba Kalyani told BusinessLine.

 

[The-king]

It is a strange baap that was born in 2011 while its Kid, the bofors it is actually based a much much older design with its technology given to Indian in the 80s.

Matlab baap is decades younger then kid

Tora haat hola rakoo Zarvan bahi!!

Arslan bhai maan ney dosri shaadi ki ho ghi yeh sotella baap hey aor isi lieye betey se b young hey..Bodhi godhi laal laghaam.

but it is too heavy and too expensive and its production rate is way too less to make any real impact OFB should give private players TOT to make it in huge numbers and bring down its costs

and who will purchase this junk in huge numbers tu ya ....

 

[GURU DUTT]

Arslan bhai maan ney dosri shaadi ki ho ghi yeh sotella baap hey aor isi lieye betey se b young hey..Bodhi godhi laal laghaam.


and who will purchase this junk in huge numbers tu ya ....

to start with owr army has more budget than your entire defnce budget ... dont worry

 

[Arsalan]

Arslan bhai maan ney dosri shaadi ki ho ghi yeh sotella baap hey aor isi lieye betey se b young hey..Bodhi godhi laal laghaam.

well i am getting all the dirty ideas about that relation now

Anyway,, let not go there and stay on topic...
Which sadly says that 2011 gun is baap of its 1980s kid

to start with owr army has more budget than your entire defnce budget ... dont worry

Way,, coffee pee lee ho to do notice that he was not talking about money but the junk!! His personal views anyway

 

[The-king]

owr

Owr oobhai kabhi school ki shakal bhi dekhi hey jahil admi our k spelling b nahien attay

well i am getting all the dirty ideas about that relation now

Anyway,, let not go there and stay on topic...
Which sadly says that 2011 gun is baap of its 1980s kid

The basic problem with the Indianz which is major cause of their embarrassment after first prototype they declare the junk super shakti maan above all later even their own arm forces refuse to take those junks. example Tejas, Arjunk, tirshool and many more.

 

[GURU DUTT]

Owr oobhai kabhi school ki shakal bhi dekhi hey jahil admi our k spelling b nahien attay


The basic problem with the Indianz which is major cause of their embarrassment after first prototype they declare the junk super shakti maan above all later even their own arm forces refuse to take those junks. example Tejas, Arjunk, tirshool and many more.

well rather you should be happy and keep quite if indians are wasting there money on such wepons cause in case of the war they will be used against your own forces but you are here doing the opposite ..... what is that mulk dushmani or you are thinking like adnan sami to come and beg for indian citizen ship

 

[The-king]

well rather you should be happy and keep quite if indians are wasting there money on such wepons cause in case of the war they will be used against your own forces but you are here doing the opposite ..... what is that mulk dushmani or you are thinking like adnan sami to come and beg for indian citizen ship

always go off topic when lose the argument, tell me your educational level kitni kakshayen padha key aor koun si paatshalla se. mujhe lagta hey app shochallay mien hi beyth ker ajatey thy patshallah mien jatey hi nahien thy Guru ji.

 

[GURU DUTT]

always go off topic when lose the argument, tell me your educational level kitni kakshayen padha key aor koun si paatshalla se. mujhe lagta hey app shochallay mien hi beyth ker ajatey thy patshallah mien jatey hi nahien thy Guru ji.

nanhe miya masoom meri shiksha ko chorro aur apne mulk ki socho khaas ker apne faujion ki jinko bahut jaldi DHANUSH ki taqat ka andaza hone wala hai