Artillery is often called the ‘King of the Battlefield’ because of its enormous impact in both offensive and defensive operations. In fact, Joseph Stalin, the former Soviet leader had even gone as far as to say that artillery was the ‘God of War’. In terms of effective weight of fire that can be brought down on any objective, nothing can match the artillery in terms of sheer cost-effectiveness. The development of new technologies and systems that can enhance the capabilities of artillery, like precision-guided munitions, loitering munitions, long-range ammunition, drones, GPS systems, and mounted gun systems have made it even more versatile and further enhanced its role in battle. The clamour by Ukraine for more and more artillery, including long-range rocket artillery systems like the M-142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems), only reinforces this fact.
The future of artillery in the 21st century will depend on several factors, such as the nature of the conflicts and the threats faced by that nation’s armed forces. Some conflicts may require more precision, mobility, and agility from artillery, especially those that are short and sharp. Longer conflicts may necessitate more firepower, range, and endurance. Since one cannot really predict the nature and duration of the conflict, all possible contingencies will have to be catered for. The availability of resources and logistics to support the operation and maintenance of artillery including the cost, quantity, and quality of ammunition, fuel, spare parts, and personnel will also be a major factor.
As a thumb rule, to support the attack of one battalion group, up to a hundred guns are catered for to provide covering fire. Each of these guns would fire up to a hundred rounds each on various targets, making it a grand total of 10,000 shells fired over a 24-hour period. For a brigade comprising three battalions, this comes to a staggering 30,000 rounds and for a division comprising three brigades, a humongous 90,000 rounds spread over several days. These figures might seem mind blowing, but are in fact borne out by the actual consumption figures of various wars, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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Keep the gun firing
While it is a challenge for the gun-crews to man their guns, an even greater challenge is in the logistics involved in keeping the supply chain flowing. In the absence of adequate artillery support, the tempo of operations cannot be sustained and will come to a standstill. It is quite possible that something similar might have occurred in Ukraine where after initial successes the Russian offensive petered out due to lack of artillery ammunition. This logistics chain flows right from the factories manufacturing the ammunition, through various depots in the communications zone and supply echelons in the tactical battle area. These depots cater for the immediate foreseeable needs of ammunition based on anticipated expenditure rates and likely duration of war. However, maintaining such large stocks is in itself problematic.
Ammunition of all types, including artillery, has to be stored at various ammunition depots that have very stringent safety norms based on international standards. This requires vast expanses of land, far from populated areas, housing large sheds built to exacting specifications. Stocks have to be periodically inspected, defective ammunition destroyed and replaced and stocks recouped based on their shelf life. All this costs money. The amount of ammunition a country can stock-pile will therefore always be finite. The solution lies in being able to significantly ramp up production in times of need. Since the existing ordnance factories would not be able to ramp up production to that extent the power of the civil industrial base will have to be harnessed. India would do well to keep in mind the example of the United States, as brought out in the book Freedom’s Forge by Arthur Herman, wherein in World War II, the US transited from a consumer-oriented manufacturing industry into a military arms powerhouse, what is referred to as the military-industrial complex. Russia seems to have learnt this lesson and as reported in the Business Insider, Western sources now claim that Russia could produce up to two million artillery shells in the coming years.
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The challenges
Notwithstanding their glorious past, the artillery will also have to adapt to the changing character of war. Some of the challenges that it is already facing in Ukraine and may face in the future are primarily on account of the proliferation of anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems that can limit the induction of artillery into the TBA, and hamper the deployment and redeployment of artillery units in response to changing battlefield scenarios. Enemy counter-bombardment (CB) will focus on artillery gun areas, so the guns will have to be capable of rapid movement to avoid enemy CB. Some modern platforms like the Bofors have limited shoot-and-scoot capability, but are essentially still towed gun systems (TGS) as is the majority of the inventory, including the M-777, 155mm Ultra-Light Howitzer acquired from the US. However, these platforms might not have the desired survivability or mobility required in a futuristic battlefield.
The need of the hour is therefore to progress from towed to mounted guns systems (MGS) with the gun and its prime mover, the truck, fused together. Not only would this reduce the time taken for the guns to come into action, but would also give them the inherent mobility to move over large distances, a much-enhanced version of the existing ‘shoot and scoot’ feature. Many Indian firms, notably Bharat Forge and Larsen & Toubro have already developed both the 105mm and 155 mm versions of a MGS, which are under evaluation. That is the way forward and towed artillery needs to be phased out as part of planned obsolescence. Tracked gun systems like the K9 Vajra are even more mobile, but are that much more expensive. Mounted Gun Systems therefore, fill the operational gap between towed and tracked artillery.
In conclusion, artillery is a vital component of modern warfare that can provide decisive advantages to the armed forces. However, artillery also faces many challenges and uncertainties that require constant adaptation and improvement. The future of artillery will depend on how well it can balance its role and capabilities with the changing demands and realities of the 21st century. Acquisitions being planned should cater for the battlefield milieu of the next few decades, in which towed artillery may be a liability.
General Manoj Mukund Naravane PVSM AVSM SM VSM is a retired Indian Army General who served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff. Views are personal.
(Edited by Anurag Chaubey)