India's state-run Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited unveiled the Dhanush 155 mm/52 calibre towed howitzer (pictured above) at DefExpo 2022, held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The company has proposed Dhanush for the Indian Army's requirement of 155 mm/52 calibre towed guns.

India's state-run Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) has proposed Dhanush 155 mm/52 calibre towed gun systems and mounted gun systems (MGSs) armed with Dhanush for the Indian Army, Rajeev Sharma, AWEIL's general manager, told Janes.

AWEIL showcased Dhanush 155 mm/52 calibre gun at Defence Expo 2022. It has a firing range of 42 km, as opposed to the 38 km range of Dhanush 155 mm/45 calibre towed howitzers.

“The Indian Army is looking to procure light weapons to be deployed in all terrains. Considering this, the upgraded Dhanush is less than 14 ton, which is the lightest in the 155 mm category weapon systems,” Sharma earlier told Janes.

Dhanush is an all-terrain weapon system with improved manoeuvrability, according to AWEIL. The gun is equipped with a retractable barrel for better turning manoeuvrability and a twin baffle muzzle brake with enhanced efficiency.

For day and night engagement of fixed and moving targets, the gun is equipped with a unified sighting system. The gun's barrel length is 8,060 mm and its weight is 2,790 kg. The gun operates from an elevation of -3° to +70°.

The towed gun has a speed of more than 40 km/h on metalled roads and it has a firing burst rate of three rounds in 30 seconds, an intense rate of 12 rounds in three minutes, and a sustained rate of 42 rounds for one hour.