India’s 155-mm Artillery Gun in Trial Stages: Dhanush

News

• The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) has developed the electronically upgraded desi version of the original Swedish 155mm Bofors howitzer, and the guns are currently at the trial stage.
• The Army wants 414 such guns. They have been upgraded to 45-calibre from the original 39-calibre to give the new howitzer a 38-km range compared to the 30-km of the original Bofors gun.
• The OFB has already been given an over Rs 1,260 crore order to make 114 howitzers.

Benefit

• Both the Army and OFB, in fact, are ‘quite excited’ about Dhanush, which they claim performs ’20-25% better’ than the original Bofors gun in virtually all parameters like range, accuracy, consistency, low and high angle of fire and shoot-and-scoot ability.
• ‘Dhanush is around 80% indigenous now. It costs just about Rs 14 crore apiece. Only its APU (auxiliary power unit), electronic dial sights and a few other small items are imported.