Apart from Bofors, M-777, K9 Vajra and Dhanush will also increase the strength of the army, China and Pakistan will lose sleep

New Delhi: As soon as you enter the Kargil War Memorial in Drass, you can see the Bofors gun on the right and behind it are high peaks. In the 1999 war, Bofors was used a lot to drive away the enemy from these peaks and Bofors played an important role in India’s victory. Therefore, any discussion about the Kargil war is incomplete without mentioning Bofors. So many shells were fired from Bofors that the diameter of its barrel started changing. Therefore, along with the Bofors gun, its barrels were also sent to Kargil in large numbers. The barrels of these guns were replaced many times. Actually, when a lot of shells are fired continuously, the barrel heats up and the structure inside it starts changing, which reduces the accuracy of firing the shells.

After the Kargil war, steps were taken towards modernization of the army. The artillery of the army was strengthened and indigenous guns were also included in the army. The Indian Army now also has 155 mm ultra light howitzer M-777 guns. Its special feature is that it is so light that it can be transported to high altitude areas through helicopters. India had signed a deal with the US for 145 guns and all the guns have been received by the Indian Army. It has been deployed on the LAC in the Eastern Sector along with Ladakh. 100 K-9 Vajra have also been included in the Indian Army, four years ago in Eastern Ladakh, along with Bofors, M-777 ultra light howitzer and K-9 Vajra were also deployed. The indigenous gun Dhanush has also been included in the Indian Army.

Rapid work to increase artillery strength

The Indian Army is working rapidly to increase the strength of its artillery. The target is that by the year 2040, all the guns will be of 155 mm caliber. Currently, there are also 105 and 130 mm guns (artillery guns). Higher caliber means more lethality. The Russia-Ukraine war has also shown that firepower is a big factor to gain an edge in any war. Most of the casualties in this have been due to artillery fire. The Indian Army has signed four different contracts for 155 mm artillery guns last year itself. Along with this, the number of mounted gun systems and self-propelled systems is being increased. Self-propelled gun means it does not require any other vehicle to carry it. It can move from one place to another on its own.

Artillery currently has 105 mm caliber field guns

An army officer said that the artillery currently has 105 mm caliber field guns which are being prepared to be phased out. Some guns are also of 130 mm. Now only 155 mm caliber artillery guns are being made all over the world. The Indian Army is also modernizing its artillery. Since all the guns are of 155 mm, the same shells can be used in all of them, which will make it easier to store and manage ammunition. Also, if guns of the same caliber are used, the army will also gain expertise in it.

Dhanush cannon can hit from a distance

The army is also to get 6 regiments of 114 Dhanush guns. One regiment of which has been prepared two years ago. The remaining five regiments equipped with Dhanush are also expected to be ready by the year 2026. Dhanush cannon can hit far and can move easily even on the most difficult roads. Through automated technology, three to six guns can fire on a target simultaneously. The weight of the gun is less than 13 tonnes, which makes it easy to carry it to hilly and remote areas. Along with this, the army is also taking 100 more K9 Vajra, the contract for which has been signed. Many types of drones have also been procured for the SATA regiment (Surveillance and Target Acquisition) of Artillery and more drones are yet to be procured. Swarm drones were procured in emergency purchases and now the process of procuring them in more numbers is underway. Apart from tactical UAVs being procured for the artillery, mini drones are also being procured for the Observation Post (OP) officers so that the direction of fire of Indian guns can be made more accurate.