Targeted Approach

Atul Chandra

The Indian Army needs to hasten its acquisition of greater numbers of 155 mm Global Positioning System (GPS)-guided artillery shells. The army is now in the unenviable position of not only having to rapidly modernise its holdings of high-calibre artillery systems, but also to stock up on large quantities of precision guided artillery shells. GPS-guided artillery shells, which are also known as Terminally Guided Munitions (TGM), will be a vital battlefield differentiator for any future conflict in the Himalayas, where the ability to undertake precision strikes is key.

The Indian Army is no stranger to precision guided artillery shells, having first inducted the Russian Krasnopol 155 mm laser-guided munition between 1999 and 2002. Media reports have indicated that the army acquired nearly 3,000 Krasnopol rounds. The cost of 1,000 Krasnopol rounds is thought to have been approximately Rs 140 crore, over two decades ago.

Historically, ballistic artillery rounds have been only accurate to approximately 300 meters. In the mountainous terrain of the Himalayas, the undulating terrain and masking effects of hill features require near direct hits to take out the target. The use of GPS-guided precision weapons on the battlefield can ensure near perfect accuracy while reducing the risk of collateral damage. The accuracy of these precision munitions also reduces the number of rounds required to defeat targets. The army is also likely to opt for Precision Guidance Kits (PGK), which can upgrade conventional 155 mm artillery to a level of accuracy that approaches near precision.

The Indian Army’s long delayed Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP), was supposed to have led to the purchase of approximately 3,000 artillery systems, encompassing 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 Howitzers (SPH). The latter two have materialised in the BAE Systems M777A2 ULH and Hanwha Aerospace K9 ‘Thunder’ SPH and been inducted into the army. The army’s requirement for an MGS has been in the pipeline since 2002 and in April 2021, a fresh Request for Information (RFI) was issued for procurement of a 155mm/52 cal