SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is in the process of developing a lighter variant of the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) to meet the Indian Army’s requirements for a more mobile, lightweight artillery system.
This new Towed Gun System (TGS) is designed to feature a 23-litre chamber capacity and a lighter barrel, which will bring its weight under the 15-ton threshold mandated by the Army. The TGS is intended to meet the Army’s growing need for agile, high-performance artillery, with plans to procure approximately 1,200 units in the future, starting with an initial order of 400 guns.
The development of a lighter Towed Gun System (TGS) comes in response to the Army’s operational requirements for artillery that can be quickly deployed and transported across diverse terrains, including high-altitude regions and areas with limited road infrastructure. The current Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), developed by DRDO, features a larger 25-litre chamber and weighs nearly 18 tons, making it challenging to manoeuvre in certain combat scenarios. While ATAGS has proven its efficacy and firepower, its weight is a limiting factor for certain tactical operations.
To address this issue, the TGS will be a more versatile system, offering the firepower and range of modern artillery while remaining under the 15-ton weight limit. This reduction in weight will be achieved through a smaller chamber size and a lighter barrel, without compromising on performance. The Indian Army is expected to prioritize these lighter systems to improve its overall mobility and tactical flexibility, particularly in challenging terrains such as the mountainous northern borders.
The TGS’s lighter weight is expected to make it easier to transport, both by road and air, enabling quicker response times in combat situations. This will make the TGS particularly valuable in high-altitude regions and border areas, where rapid artillery deployment can be a decisive factor in military engagements.
In addition to DRDO’s efforts, Indian defence giants Tata Advanced Systems and Kalyani Group are also working on their own lighter variants of the Towed Gun System (TGS). Both companies are leveraging their in-house technologies to meet the Army’s demand for a lightweight, highly mobile artillery system.
Tata and Kalyani have been key players in India’s defence manufacturing sector and have already contributed significantly to the ATAGS program. Both companies are expected to offer competitive alternatives in the TGS space, each with unique technological innovations. Their involvement in the project will provide the Indian Army with multiple options, ensuring that the chosen system meets operational and logistical requirements while fostering healthy competition within India’s defence industry.
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