Shoot and Scoot

Atul Chandra

DefExpo 2022 provided an insight into many of the new land systems under development with the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Units (DPSU) and Indian private defence sector. An important new development with regards to indigenous weapons development was the first sight of the new 155mm/52cal Mounted Gun System (MGS), which is being indigenously designed under a public-private partnership between the Vehicle Research & Development Establishment (VRDE) and the Kalyani Group.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh with Kalyani Group’s Baba Kalyani

The new MGS is aimed at fulfilling the long-pending need of the Indian Army, which has plans to procure 814 such systems. Under the army’s Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP), the acquisition of approximately 3,000 artillery guns was envisaged. This encompassed 1580 Towed Gun Systems (TGS), 814 Mounted Gun Systems, 180 wheeled Self-Propelled Guns (SPG), 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers (ULH) and 100 tracked self-propelled guns.

Mobile Firepower

The MGS is a cross country truck-mounted heavy artillery gun system based on the DRDO developed 155mm/52cal Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS). Only a single prototype has been manufactured so far and the weapon system was on static display at DefExpo 2022. Many systems on the indigenously developed MGS have already undergone successful trials. The new weapon system is based on a Tatra High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) 8X8 chassis for enhanced mobility. The new MGS features an auto-gun alignment and positioning system, integrated Fire Control System (FCS), ammunition handling system and onboard silent electric power system. A Muzzle Velocity Radar is