India’s first indigenous, long-range artillery gun ‘Dhanush’ will be tested at the Pokhran field firing range in Jaisalmer next week. Developed by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and manufactured by Jabalpur-based Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), the trial of Dhanush has been going on for the five years and initially face some major hiccups regarding ammunition used.

Two years ago, the trial of Dhanush had to be stopped because a shell burst in the barrel during the trial.

But this issue has been resolved after upgraded successfully upgraded in the Balasore range of Odisha.

Dhanush’s trial will be conducted in the presence of representatives of Indian Army technical officers and GCF experts. Apart from testing its long-range firepower, its performance will be tested in heat and other adverse conditions.

Known Indian is an upgrade version of Sweden’s Bofors gun, more 80 percent of its parts are built indigenously. Bofors could hit the target at a distance of 29 km, while the Dhanush hit the target at a distance of 38 km.

In comparison to Bofors working on hydraulic system, the it operates under the electronic system. With the help of night vision device, it can hit targets in the night. It uses 125-mm shells and can fire 5 to 6 shells in a minute.More than 400 Dhanush guns are expected to be acquired by the Army.

Issues Resolved

Two years ago, the trial of Dhanush had to be stopped because a shell burst in the barrel during the trial. But this issue has been resolved after upgraded successfully upgraded in the Balasore range of Odisha. Dhanush’s trial will be conducted in the presence of representatives of Indian Army technical officers and GCF experts.