The Indian Army (IA) has taken delivery of the first six of 114 Dhanush 155 mm/45-calibre towed howitzers ordered from the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
Officials said the OFB’s Gun Carriage Factory (GCF) at Jabalpur, central India, handed over the licence-built guns to the army’s Central Ordnance Depot at the same location on 8 April ahead of their formal induction into the IA at a later date.
The guns, which have an effective range of 38 km, are improved versions of the FH-77B 155 mm/39-calibre field howitzers originally produced by Sweden’s AB Bofors (now BAE Systems).
The Dhanush weighs less than 13 tonnes, has a ground clearance of 400 mm, a range of elevation varying from –3 to 70° and a traverse of ±30°, according to IA sources.
Capable of operating in varied climatic conditions across India, the gun has been fitted with an automated gun-aiming and -positioning system that uses a global navigation satellite system, an inertial navigation unit, and an onboard ballistic computer. Also supplied is an advanced day/night direct-firing and target-acquisition sight, as well as various communication systems.
The IA received the first six of 114 Dhanush towed howitzers (similar to this one) from the state-owned OFB. (IHS Markit/Sunil Nair)
The Dhanush’s 45-calibre barrel is 877 mm longer than that of the FH-77B and has a 23-litre chamber capacity.
OFB officials said the GCF would complete building the first lot of 36 guns by December, with another 48 units expected to be ready in 2020. The remaining 30 howitzers are to be handed over to the IA by 2022.
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