The Indian Army’s Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) has successfully re-powered the FH-77B Bofors howitzers with modern Cummins engines. These are the same engines used in the indigenous 155 mm Dhanush howitzer, highlighting a critical step towards standardisation and modernisation of artillery power plants.

The upgrade replaces the ageing Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) of the Bofors guns, which were originally Volvo B20 engines now obsolete and with spare parts hard to procure. This re-powering ensures improved reliability, fuel efficiency, and easier maintenance for the howitzers.

The integration required reengineering the engine mounts and adapting hydraulic and control systems to ensure the new Cummins engine works seamlessly with the legacy gun platforms. After retrofit, the guns undergo rigorous field trials to confirm enhancements in mobility, fuel consumption, and operational efficiency across diverse terrains and weather conditions.

This engine standardisation significantly benefits logistics by simplifying maintenance training, spare part inventories, and support systems, making artillery deployment faster and more reliable. The re-powered howitzers can move under their own power for short distances, increasing deployment flexibility in challenging terrains such as high altitude and deserts.

The FH-77B Bofors howitzer with its 155 mm/39 calibre gun has been a backbone artillery piece since the 1980s. However, with growing obsolescence of components and spare-part scarcity impacting readiness, this upgrade extends the service life of the guns until the gradual replacement by newer systems like the indigenous Dhanush and ATAGS howitzers, targeted around 2030.

The Cummins engine is a proven power plant already fielded successfully in the Dhanush howitzer, which features enhanced features like greater range and electronic fire control systems. The shared engine platform now enhances cost-effectiveness and interoperability between legacy and modern artillery assets.

The repowering initiative by the EME also involved the 506 Army Base Workshop, where skilled technical teams executed the retrofit with precision, followed by comprehensive firing and mobility trials to validate the upgrade. This project reflects the Indian Army’s commitment to maintain combat readiness by modernising proven weapons with contemporary technology.

The re-powering of Bofors howitzers with Cummins engines consolidates the Indian Army’s artillery modernization efforts by combining reliability, enhanced operational flexibility, logistic streamlining, and cost efficiency while bridging capability gaps until full transition to next-generation artillery systems. This initiative substantially boosts the ongoing transformation of India’s artillery firepower landscape.

Based On India Today Video Report