SOURCE: AFI
The delivery of the indigenously produced Dhanush artillery guns to the Indian Army is facing significant delays, raising concerns about meeting the targeted completion date of March 2026. The initial goal was to equip the Army with 114 of these advanced artillery systems, but production challenges have put the timeline in jeopardy, according to officials involved in the project.
Advanced Weapon Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), responsible for manufacturing the Dhanush guns at the Gun Carriage Factory (GCF) in Jabalpur, was scheduled to deliver an additional 48 guns by March 2025. However, production has been plagued by setbacks. The first batch of six guns was handed over in April 2019, but progress has been slow ever since.
The initial delivery was followed by a production pause due to shortages of critical spare parts. Manufacturing resumed only in late 2023, and as of 2024, it was expected that 26 guns would be delivered by March 2024. This would still leave a significant shortfall, as only 32 out of the 114 ordered guns would be delivered, raising doubts about meeting the full quota by the 2026 deadline.
Despite the hurdles, AWEIL and the Army have been working closely to stabilize production. One regiment equipped with the Dhanush system was operationalized in 2023, but delays persist due to supply chain issues, particularly with imported components. Although these issues have now been largely addressed, further delays remain a concern, according to sources familiar with the project.
The Dhanush is a 155 mm, 45-calibre towed artillery gun with a range of 36 kilometers, extendable to 38 kilometers with specialized ammunition. It is an upgraded version of the 155 mm, 39-calibre Bofors FH 77 gun, a tried and tested platform in the Indian Army’s arsenal. One of the key advantages of Dhanush is its 80% indigenous content, which makes maintenance and spare parts availability easier. This was expected to streamline logistics and reduce dependency on foreign suppliers.
According to Army sources, the expectation is that the remaining regiments will be delivered by 2026. However, this projection now seems optimistic given the current pace of production. The delivery of 48 additional guns by March 2025 is critical to maintaining the original schedule, but even that target appears ambitious under the current circumstances.
The slow pace of Dhanush gun deliveries presents a significant challenge to India’s defense modernization timeline. As the Indian Army seeks to enhance its firepower and artillery capabilities, the delay in the induction of these guns could hamper operational preparedness in the coming years. With the March 2026 deadline approaching, AWEIL and the Indian Army must overcome production bottlenecks to ensure the timely delivery of the remaining guns.