In a major stride towards the ‘Make-in-India’ in the defence sector, Indian Army to buy 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) howitzers for deployment along the borders with China and Pakistan.
The ATAGS is an indigenous towed artillery gun system project undertaken in mission mode by the DRDO as a part of the artillery modernisation programme of the Indian Army.
The Ministry of Defence has received a proposal worth over USD 1 billion from the Indian Army and is under discussion. It is expected to be cleared soon and sent for clearance by the Cabinet Committee on Security, said defence officials. This would be the first order for the indigenous howitzer which can strike targets at around 50 kms and is believed to be the best gun in its class, they said. The forces have been conducting trials of the gun in different altitudes and terrain. They have been upgraded as per the suggestions made by the users, the officials said. The technology and know-how of raw howitzer have been shared with two private firms Tata Advanced Systems and Bharat Forge group by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and they would be supplying the system to the forces including over 320 high mobility vehicles.