INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: With the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war reinforcing that long-range, high-volume destructive firepower is a decisive battle-winning
factor, India is going in for the induction of more howitzers, missiles and rockets as well as loiter munitions, swarm drones and ISR
(intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) capabilities for precision-strikes against adversaries.Under the major capability
(ATAGS) and 300 mounted gun systems (MGS) has already kicked off with the request for proposals (RFPs) now being issued for these
155mm/52-calibre guns, top defence sources said on Saturday.The Army is also moving towards acquiring another 100 K-9 Vajra self-propelled
tracked guns, which have a strike range of 28-38 km, through the joint venture between L-T and South Korean Hanwha Defence.The continuing
from the 100 such guns inducted earlier for Rs 4,366 crore
force-survivability measures, with shoot-and-scoot techniques
DRDO-developed ATAGS, which has a maximum strike range of 48-km and will be produced by Tata Advanced Systems and Bharat Forge, is also
being expedited after completion of all firing trials
of 1,580 such guns.Similarly, the Army plans to induct more regiments of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, whose strike range has been
extended to 450-km from the original 290-km, to add to its existing four regiments.While an 800-km variant of the BrahMos is also under
development, the Army will also get the new Pralay conventional (non-nuclear) ballistic missiles (150 to 500-km range) in the near future,
with the order for an initial 100 such missiles finalized now
gradual induction of at least six more regiments of the indigenous Pinaka multi-launch artillery rocket systems to add to the existing four
regiments, which have also been deployed along the LAC
The strike-range of the Pinaka rockets has also been extended from the original 38-km to 75-km
induction of a variety of drones and surveillance devices to more accurately direct fire against enemy targets, while deliveries of some
target acquisition) artillery units will include induction of tactical remotely-piloted aircraft, loiter weapon systems, swarm drones,
latest weapon-locating radars and battle-field surveillance radars
