In a first, Indian field guns used for 21-Gun Salute on Republic Day 2023 | Watch

New Delhi, Jan 26: On the 74th Republic Day, the vintage artillery with 25-pounder guns, which traditionally fired the thundering ceremonial 21-Gun Salute during the Republic Day celebrations, were replaced by 105 mm Indian field guns, as the government makes a further push for its Make-in-India initiative.

Part of the 2281 Field Regiment, seven cannons of early 1940s era form part of the artillery that has been firing the ceremonial salute in the backdrop of the Republic Day celebrations on Rajpath (renamed to Kartavya Path last year). Made in the United Kingdom, they had participated in the World War II.

''Each gun (25-pounder) is handled by a team of three personnel, and ideally all seven fire in a cyclical fashion until the 21st round is fired when hay of ...jay jay hay is being sung or played,'' a senior Army official had told PTI on January 26, 2017.

About 105 mm Indian field guns

The 105 IFG (Indian Field Gun) was designed in 1972. The Gun Carriage factory, Jabalpur and Field Gun Factory, Kanpur, manufacture it. They are in service since 1984.
The ammunition for the 105mm IFG is also developed in India and manufactured at ordnance factories in Ambajhari and Chandrapur.

These field guns are compact light and they can also be airdropped. It is a very good Indian gun, Maj Gen Kumar said. Army sources told PTI that these guns (25-pounders) are ''obsolete and phased out of the Army now. And, presently being used as warm trophies in various army establishments like the Artillery Centre, etc.''.

While the Indian Field Gun (IFG) weighs 3,450 kg, the Light Field Gun (LFG) variant weighs 2,380 kg. Both guns have the same rate of fire and can shoot four rounds per minute over ranges from 2,000 to 17,400 metres.

The gun is capable of sustaining an intense rate of fire of six rounds per minute for up to 10 minutes and a sustained rate of fire for up to one hour. The gun is operated by a crew of six personnel and has a secondary anti-tank capability. These field guns are compact and light and can also be airdropped.

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