India's Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) also has tremendous potential for export

For many years India has been seeking to become self-sufficient in many year areas of land systems, including towed artillery systems

The 155 mm/45 calibre Dhanush towed artillery system, which was marketed at the recent Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2022 exhibition, is now deployed by the Indian Army and is fitted with a power unit on the front of the split carriage which allows it to move in a confined space at a maximum speed of up to 5 km/h. It also assists in bringing the gun into action.

The 155 mm/45 calibre ordnance is fitted with a muzzle brake and maximum range depends on the projectile/charge combination but is claimed to be more than 36 km with a Bi-Modular Charge System (BMCS) Zone 6 which gives a high muzzle velocity of 881 m/s. India is currently quoting a barrel life of 2 000 round equivalent full charge (EFC).

In addition to using the BMCS it can also use the older and less efficient bag charge propellant systems and types of 155 mm ammunition that can be fired include the widely deployed and old US developed M107 high-explosive (HE) projectile and Extended Range Full Bore Boat Tail (BT) or Base Bleed (BB) projectiles.

Maximum rate of fire is currently being quoted as a burst rate of three rounds in 30 seconds and an intense rate of 12 rounds in three minutes.

A load assist device is fitted as standard as is a load assist device which carries three 155 mm projectiles on the right side.

Standard equipment on the Dhanush includes a muzzle velocity radar mounted above the ordnance which feed information to the fire control system, artillery gun alignment and positioning system and Global Positioning System (GPS) aided inertial navigation system (INS).

It can also be integrated into the end users own existing artillery command and control system.

In addition to marketing the Dhanush 155 mm/45 calibre towed artillery system, India is also marketing Sharang 155 mm/45 calibre artillery system which is essentially an upgraded Russian 130 mm M-46 field gun which has been deployed by the Indian and many other countries for well over 50 years and with the Chinese equivalent being the Type 59-1, Both of these have a maximum range of just over 27 000 m.

Firing an ERFB-BB and using a BMCS Zone 6, a maximum range of 38 km is obtained for the Sharang which is a significant improvement with barrel having an EFC life of 1 500 rounds.