Dhanush artillery gun to be inducted shorty: How is it different from US made Howitzer

New Delhi, Jan 5: 155mm Dhanush artillery gun was developed to replace the older 105 mm Indian Field Gun, 105 mm Light Field Gun and the Russian 122 mm guns. Due to multiple delays in development of Dhanush and several failures during tests, India had to go for purchase of US made M77 Howitzer.

Reports now claim that India's first indigenous gun will eventually be inducted in February 2019 during a ceremony planned at the School of Artillery in Deolali. And, within the next calendar year, 18 Dhanush guns (155mm/45mm) should be delivered to the Indian Army. The induction is likely to be made after it fullfils general staff quality requirements (GSQR).

The Dhanush 155mm towed howitzer, developed by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and manufactured by Jabalpur-based Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), is an upgraded version of the Swedish 130mm Bofors.

In May 2017, Indian Army received the first two ultra-light howitzers from the US as part of an order for 145 long-range guns.

Why was M777 Ultra Light Howitzers preferred over Dhanush?

To understand this, we must delve into specifications of both the guns. Dhanush, developed by Ordnance Factories Board, is a 155 caliber gun capable of targeting enemy posts up to 38 kms. DRDO 155 mm artillery gun or Version 2 of the Dhanush is under development. It will upgrade the current 155 mm/45 caliber gun to 155 mm/52 calibre. Dhanush v2's larger calibre ordnance will increase the strike range by 4 km (taking the range upto to 42 km). The main drawback of Dhanush is its weight, as it uses heavier materials which takes its weight to close to 12,000 kgs.

The M777 howitzers are ultra-light-weight towed artillery guns which are manufactured by BAE systems. The gun weighs a mere 4.2 tonnes and this makes it possible to be rapidly deployed at a short notice. M777 weights 4200 kg due to the use of Titanium alloys as compared to Dhanush's weight of 12,000 kg. M777 weighs a third of what Dhanush weighs.

How does this impact battle situation?

In a battle scenario, speed with which guns can be placed at strategic locations is of paramount importance. The M777 Howitzer can be transported using an Ch-47 chinook Chopper. This can be of great importance in battles as getting your striking assets on time to the battle field is extremely crucial to gain tactical upper hand.

Even in Kargil battle, our Artillery corps used 155mm Bofors AB's Haubits FH77u. That gun was heavy and it took a while for troops to place them in strategic locations.

There is no doubt that Dhanush is a potent gun and army has placed a massive order for it to be deployed in other parts. But in regions where logistics are challenging and transportation is difficult, light weight M777 Howitzers would be preferred. Moreover, tests are still being conducted on Dhanush, and it will take time for it to be ready for full-fledged mass production.