60% of the contract, which involves 307 howitzers and 327 towing vehicles, will go to Bharat Forge, which emerged as lowest bidder, and 40% to Tata Advanced Systems.
On 197th Gunners' Day, a look at how the Indian Army’s artillery regiment is arming itself. The Army is looking at acquiring 400 TGS which can operate in all terrains.
While the country of export has not been specified, it is to note that Saudi Arabia recently carried out trials of Bharat 52, a 155 mm, 52 calibre towed howitzer, made by the company.
Dhanush needed fresh trials after Army flagged production quality issues. Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System was found to have 'inconsistency' in overall performance in trials last June.
The towed gun system is part of Army’s Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan that was drawn up in 1999. An Israeli firm has been in the race for over two years now.
Initial talks held on the possibility of India entering the programme that was started in 2017 between France, Germany and Spain to ensure European sovereignty in defence and security.
In short, the Indian Army did everything it could to procure the foreign artillery guns but ultimately had to settle for the indigenous one.
The indigenous one consistently outperformed the foreign ones in contention, but the Army was hell bent on procuring the foreign ones. This resulted in the protracted “trials” of the ATAGs.
The Indian Army remains in the stranglehold of the arms import lobby.
In short, the Indian Army did everything it could to procure the foreign artillery guns but ultimately had to settle for the indigenous one.
The indigenous one consistently outperformed the foreign ones in contention, but the Army was hell bent on procuring the foreign ones. This resulted in the protracted “trials” of the ATAGs.
The Indian Army remains in the stranglehold of the arms import lobby.