Stuck at Aatmanirbharta

Lt Gen. B.S. Pawar (retd)

The artillery modernisation push goes back to 1999 when the army’s Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP) was formulated and finalised, which involved the induction of 2800 x 155mm varied gun systems by 2027. This included 1580 towed guns, 814 mounted gun systems, 180 SP wheeled/ 100 SP tracked guns and 145 ULH, as well as multi-barrel rocket systems, missiles, surveillance and target acquisition systems, though the emphasis remained on the gun systems.

For almost two decades the FARP remained only on paper and there was hardly any movement forward. But over the last five years the induction of two modern and advanced gun systems, the M777 Ultra Light Howitzer (ULH) and the K9 Vajra Tracked Self Propelled (SP) Gun and the development of two major indigenous towed gun projects like the Dhanush (Upgraded Bofors) by the Ordinance Factory Board (OFB) and the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) saw the FARP finally taking shape and set the ball rolling on the long stagnating artillery modernisation process.

The final trials and evaluations in February 2019 of the principle project to acquire 1,580 state of the art towed guns, gave a further impetus to the modernisation drive--Israeli Elbit Systems ATHOS gun emerged as a clear winner. In fact, in 2019 the artillery was the only arm of the army whose modernisation process was on track, but that short dream run is now history. Barring the M777 ULH and the K9 Vajra all other projects are either facing delays or have been scrapped by the government citing the need for Aatmanirbarta and due to the negative import lists generated by the ministry of defence (MoD) for acquisition of military hardware with the artillery gun systems being included in the same.

The Wheeled SP gun project has already been shelved, there has been no forward movement on the Mounted Gun Systems and as per reports the most important project of Towed Guns is as good as dead. As a result, the artillery will continue to operate the old Indian Field Gun (IFG) and the Light Field Gun (LFG), which form the bulk of the artillery’s inventory with limited ranges and automation. To further add to the woes the indigenous Dhanush gun is facing some technical issues and is way behind in its committed production schedule delivering only 18 guns against an order for 114 over the last four years.

Keeping this in mind, major concerns on the slow pace of modernisation were raised by the erstwhile Director General Artillery as early as 2021 and more recently the same has been endorsed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) with his scathing and critical observations on the lack of progress in the implementation of the FARP. As per the CAG, only eight per cent of the total 2,800 guns have been acquired so far. The delays in the modernisation programme are even more concerning as India now has domestically developed state of the art design and production facilities for artillery guns.

Howitzers/ Gun Systems

M7