New Delhi: At a time when heavy artillery is being used at the Indo-Pak border, the Indian Army on Tuesday will receive its first batch of indigenously built Dhanush artillery guns, often called the “Desi Bofors”.
The chairman of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) will hand over the first batch of six “Dhanush” artillery guns to Central Ordnance Depot Jabalpur. The 155mm x 45 calibre artillery guns will be deployed mainly at the border with Pakistan and China.
These guns have a maximum strike range of around 36 km depending upon the ammunition being used.
Gun Carriage Factory has been given the bulk production clearance (BPC) for manufacturing 114 “Dhanush” guns.
Significantly, the Dhanush gun system is based on the designs of the Bofors howitzer.
The purchase of Bofors guns in the 1980s included the technology transfer to OFB. Due to Bofors and other scandals for many years, India was unable to acquire or import foreign artillery guns, after which the OFB started work on the Dhanush guns. The OFB has upgraded the 39-calibre of the original Bofors to 45-calibre in Dhanush to increase its strike range.
The induction of Dhanush guns will add to the firepower of the Indian Army.
The Pakistan Army has been using heavy artillery guns to target Indian posts and civilian areas after tensions between the two country heightened after the Pulwama attack.
The Indian Army, too, has been retaliating with heavy artillery Bofors gun to target Pakistan’s Army posts.
Dhanush has been mechanically upgraded to fire standard Nato 155 mm ammunition and can accommodate the bi-modular charge system which has resulted in increasing the range. It has also been electronically upgraded to enhance the firing accuracies and to provide compatibility with various kinds of ammo as well.
The self-propulsion unit allows the gun to negotiate and deploy itself in mountainous terrains with ease.
