Indian MoD has begun negotiations for a contract to procure 155 mm/52 calibre ATAGS. (Janes/Guruprasad Gangaramaiah)
India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has started negotiations with Pune-based Bharat Forge Limited (BFL) over a contract to procure the company's 155 mm/52 calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), BFL announced on 19 November.
“After completion of [the] technical evaluation process and commercial bids opening, the contract negotiation procedure between Bharat Forge Ltd and the Indian Ministry of Defence is currently underway,” said BFL in a stock exchange filing.
It added, “We shall inform the stock exchange as soon as the contract negotiation procedure is concluded, which is expected before the end of the current financial year 2024–25.” The company said the potential procurement features the ATAGS and the system's gun towing vehicle (GTV), but it provided no other details.
In March 2023 India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved the procurement of the ATAGS and the GTVs for the Indian Army but did not say how many units would be acquired, nor did it provide a value for the programme.
A request for information (RFI) issued by the Indian Army in December 2022 outlined the service's requirement to procure the capability.
The RFI said the weight of the guns should be less than 15 tonnes, and that the gun should be able to fire all in-service ammunition and can operate on existing roads and track networks at India's northern and western borders.
“The guns must be equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) and inertial navigation-based sight system with the capability to orient and fix the location of the system. The fire-control system (FCS) should also provide an optical sight for indirect firing day and night,” the RFI added.
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