OFB's Dhanush 155-mm/45-cal Gun Cleared for Production after Critical Trials

Dhanush features advance electronic equipment for accurately laying the gun on target at long ranges. 

OFB's Dhanush 155-mm/45-cal towed gun on Friday, June 20, 2014 successfully completed critical trials at Pokharan paving the way for production to commence.

According to TNIE, the trials were witnessed by Minister of State for Defense Production Rao Inderjit Singh.

The trials cleared doubts about the gun arising from a barrel burst in August 2013, during last year's summer trials. OFB investigated the incident and concluded that neither the gun nor its barrel were at fault. It carried out internal firing trials to validate the conclusion.

Following Fridays success, the Army will now follow through the summer trials from the point where they were abandoned last year.

The gun successfully underwent winter trials at high altitudes in Sikkim last winter.

The Indian Army and Ordinance Factory Board have teamed up to build the 155-mm/45-cal Dhanush towed gun using TOT from the late 1980s contract to purchase 155-mm / 39-cal FH 77 B02 for the Army. Besides longer range than the Bofors gun, Dhanush features advanced electronics to accurately lay the gun on target.

The Army has projected an initial requirement for 414 of these guns, each of which will cost over Rs 14 crore, as part of its long-delayed artillery modernization program.

IDP Sentinel members can read more about the Dhaush towed gun at the link below.

Dhanush 155 mm/45 Caliber Upgraded Bofors Howitzer - IDP Sentinel

Indian Army Initiates Procurement of Towed Air Defense Guns

L-70 AD Gun Indian Army. Photo Courtesy Indian Army

The Indian Army is planning to procure towed Air Defense (AD) Guns and ammunition with Maintenance Transfer of Technology (MToT). The new AD Guns will presumably replace the L-70 AD guns currently in service.

The Army has released a RFI from OEMs/Vendors in India for a gun that is capable of engaging air targets during day and night using Fire Control Radar and  Electro Optical Fire Control System (EOFCS). The gun should also be capable of engaging air targets passively, without the Fire Control Radar. Preferred gun caliber is 30-mm or above; the guns are required to be broad gauge transportation compatible.

The Army wants a gun that can effectively engage targets in mountainous terrain.

Self Propelled AD Gun and Missile System

In January 2010, the Indian Army released a RFI for procurement of Self Propelled AD Gun Missile System. The Army is looking for an all weather engagement capable system, with the gun and missiles mounted on the same or different vehicles. If they are mounted on the same vehicle, either the guns or the missile should be slaved to the fire control radar. If they are mounted on different vehicles, the gun should be slaved to the fire control radar. The gun must also be capable of engaging aerial targets with or without the fire control radar.

The gun should have a effective range of 2,500-m or more and be capable of engaging targets to an altitude of 1,500-m. The missile system should have an effective range of 5-km or more and be capable of engaging targets travelling upto speeds of 500-m/sec with an SSKP of not less than 70%.

The rail transportable system should be capable of moving 50 Km cross country in a day with on board fuel tank and in addition be able to operate for eight hours in a day without refueling.

Hybrid BIHO 30mm Gun and Missile Air Defense System

Tata Power SED is collaborating with South Korea's Doosan DST to produce a hybrid version of Doosan's 30mm BIHO Self Propelled anti-aircraft gun system. The hybrid system will field the existing twin 30mm guns as well as VSHORAD missiles and will be mounted on chassis of K-21 IFV manufactured by Doosan DST, but the hull and chassis of the IFV will be manufactured, using alternate material, based on Doosan TOT,  at Tata's new manufacturing facility being set up on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

IDP Sentinel members can get more information at the links below

Self Propelled Air Defense Gun Missile System - IDP Sentinel
Tata Power SED's Hybrid BIHO 30mm Gun & Missile Air Defense System - IDP Sentinel

L&T and Samsung Techwin (STW) Developed 155-mm/52-cal K9 Vajra-T Tracked Self Propelled Artillery at DefExpo 2014

L&T and STW's 155-mm/52-cal tracked SP gun and loader

L&T displayed a model of it proposed K9 Vajra-T gun and its at their pavilion at DefExpo 2014.

Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) and Samsung Techwin (STW) Co of South Korea announced on March 29, 2012 during DefExpo 2012 that they would cooperate to develop a 155-mm/52-cal tracked, self propelled artillery for the Indian Army.

The Indian Army plans to acquire 100 155-mm/52-cal Tracked SP (Self Propelled) Guns under its artillery modernization program. MOD floated a tender inviting India's Tata Power SED, Larsen & Toubro, BEML and Rosoboronexport to bid. L&T submitted a bid as lead partner in 2011.

The proposed L&T gun is a localized version of STW's K9 Thunder Self-Propelled Howitzer, claimed as the ‘largest and most successful’ of the 155 mm/52 caliber self-propelled artillery systems globally today.

L&T, as the lead partner, would localize the K9 using key technologies from STW, and manufacture it at its defense equipment facility at Talegaon near Pune.

K9 Thunder at DefExpo 2012

The production version of the gun will feature over 50 per cent local content.

The K9 Vajra-T can fire Extended Range Full Bore Boat Tail (ERFB BT) and Extended Range Full Bore Base Bleed (ERFB BB) projectiles to ranges of 30-km and 40-km respectively. It can fire a K315 HE Rocket Assisted Projectile (RAP) to a range exceeding 50-km. The range using a standard M107 high explosive (HE) projectile is 18-km.

The Vajra-T has a direct fire sight to engage ground targets. It can engage a tank size (2.3-m x 2.3-m) target at 1-km.

It can fire a burst of 3 rounds in 30-sec, 6 to 8 rounds a minute for 3-min. Sustained rate of fire is 2 rounds per minute for one hour.

Equipped with a 1,000-hp engine, the K9 Vajra-T has a power-to-weight ration of 21-hp/ton. It's equipped with a hydro-pneumatic suspension system and can achieve a max speed of 67-kph.

The SP gun features an automatic fire control system (AFCS), powered gun elevation/depression and traverse system. The gun can be laid using a data link or on-board fire-control equipment. The automatic loading system receives projectiles from the storage position and places them on to the ammunition tray for ramming.

The driver has 6.5" video display for day driving  and an uncooled thermal imager for night driving.

The Ammunition Resupply Vehicle (ARV), K10, has a max transfer rate of 12 rounds / min. It can carry 104 rounds (Projectile) and 504 units (Charge).

Arjun Catapult at DefExpo 2014

Arjun Catapult 130-mm M45  Tracked SP Gun at DefExpo 2014

DRDO has designed and developed the Arjun Catapult system by mounting the 130 mm, M-46 Catapult Russian gun on an Arjun Mk-1 MBT chassis.

The system has a crew of 8 and a combat weight of 54-t.

Earlier, DRDO developed a similar system called Vijayanta Catapult by mounting the gun on the Vijayanta chassis. Two Indian Army (IA) regiments are equipped with Vijayanta Catapult Guns. The IA intends to extend the life of the 130 mm Catapult system and mount it on the Arjun MBT, to address immediate and interim requirements.

This might look like the backside of the Arjun Catapult, but it is actually the front side, as is evident from the windshield on the left for the driver. The gun faces the backside. The large recoil of the gun forced the arrangement!

DRDO's Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) developed the Arjun Catapult system in quick time, fielding the system for user trials in November 2013, within just four months of receiving the order from the Army.  DRDO says the first prototype performed well during trials, but admits further improvements are under incorporation to firm-up the configuration for production.

A user-assisted General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR ) trial of the system is likely to to be held at the Pokharan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan during April-May 2014.

The driver's seat, facing in the opposite direction to the gun.

The Army is expected to place an order for 40 catapult gun systems.

K Sreethar, Head - Artillery, CVRDE, says, the Arjun Catapult has better stability, accuracy and consistency than the Vijayanta Catapult

“The gun barrel is mainly used to engage in indirect fire up to a maximum range of 27.4 km. It can also be fired directly on targets up to 1.4 km range. It can be fired at various angles of elevation as well. The catapult has STANAG Level II protection (a NATO standardization agreement) for the crew. It has low silhouette and has integrated fire fighting detection and suppression system,” he adds.

Looking down the barrel from one of the loader's seat.

The system features GPS and night vision devices for both the driver and the commander. The ergonomic design of the crew compartment factors in anthropometric data of Indian troops.

Arjun Catapult has excellent mobility because of its high performance engine, robust and effective transmission system and Hydropneumatic suspension.

The 130-mm M-46 rifled gun has a maximum range of 27.4-km.

Dhanush 155-mm/45-cal Gun Built by Ordnance Factory Board at DefExpo 2014

Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) developed Dhanush 155-mm/45-cal Gun

Dhanush was developed as an Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) - Army initiative using blueprints obtained from Bofors, Sweden in the late 1980s under the TOT clause of the contract to purchase Bofors 155-mm/39-cal guns.

Gunner's sighting and control seat and display

Dhanush is often referred to as upgraded Bofors gun, but OFB says that development of Dhaush was more than an upgrade.

Besides the change in the caliber of the gun, from 39 to 45, a lot else has changed.

The gun features a modified baffle muzzle brake for improved efficiency, a modified loading trough to enable BMCS Z-6 firing, an inertial navigation system for orientation and fixation, an auto laying system, muzzle velocity reader, unified sighting system, ammunition display unit and a communication system.

The gun has a muzzle velocity of 885 m/s and a range of 38-km (ERFB-BB).

OFB told IDP that the problem that caused the barrel of the gun to burst during trials has been resolved and trials of the gun are proceeding.

For additional information on the project, please visit the link below.

Dhanush 155 mm/45 Caliber Upgraded Bofors Howitzer (IDP Sentinel)

OFB Developed Bofors 155 mm / 45 caliber Gun Bursts During Trials

A Bofors 155mm/39 caliber gun in action during Kargil Ops.

On October 25, 2013 Defense News reported that the barrel of a prototype Bofors 155 mm / 45 caliber howitzer burst during summer trials. A MOD source told the website that the failure was investigated by an internal committee, which concluded that neither the barrel nor its Indian-made ammunition was at fault.

Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has developed the 155mm / 45 caliber gun by upgrading the 155 mm / 39 caliber Bofors gun inducted into the Army in late 1980s. Using drawings supplied by Bofors as part of the TOT package, OFB lengthened the barrel of the gun (increasing caliber from 39 to 45), so that it could achieve a range of 40 km. In additions, OFB improved the mechanical and electronic suites of the gun.

The Defense Acquisition Council in October 2011 asked Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) to manufacture two prototypes of upgraded 155mm/45 calibre Howitzer Gun and offer them for trials by Jun 2013. [via PIB]

On March 7, 2013, the TOI reported that the MOD has placed a letter of intent with the OFB for 114 howitzers.

Following the setback, which has halted the trial process, BAE Systems, which acquired Bofor's howitzer unit, has reportedly offered to help OFB upgrade the gun.

Ironically, the barrel explosion followed a series of trial successes.

On April 29, 2013, the Minister of State for Defense told parliament that the OFB has carried out several internal firings of their in house developed 155mm x 45 caliber Artillery Gun and it has met the planned objectives. However, User Test Fire is yet to be carried out.

Successful Trials at PXE Balasore

On December 28, 2012, the TOI reported that field trials of the two prototype guns were successfully conducted at the Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE) testing range in Balasore, Odisha on December 19, 20 and 23 respectively.

GM, Gun carriage factory (GCF), S P Yadav, told the newspaper that the performance of both the prototype guns had been as expected; they had successfully hit targets 38-40 kilometers away.

The trials were witnessed by Lt Gen Anjan Mukherji, DG Artillery as well as experts from DRDO.

The PXE range is equipped for accurate ballistic measurements and DRDO has compiled the data from the trials.

GCF carried out initial internal trials of the guns in May in Pokharan, which proved to be satisfactory.

Next the guns were tested at Central Proof Establishment (CPE) at Itarsi on November 30, December 5 and 6. 

At CPE, the firing was confined to the arrester butt on zero degree elevation. 

After the CPE firing the guns were subjected to a series of tests to ensure their structural integrity hadn't been compromised. It was determined that all components and assemblies had borne the firing firing stress without any damage.