Ø After placing an initial order for 114
indigenously made Dhanush howitzers, doubts have arisen over whether the Army will
go ahead with the purchase, though a snag in the gun has been sorted out. The
Army is desperately short of new long-range artillery, having failed to induct
any new gun after the Bofors scandal. The Dhanush is an upgraded version of the
Swedish 155-mm Bofors howitzers bought by India in the mid-1980s based on the
original designs. It is a 155-mm, 45-calibre gun with a maximum effective range
of 38 km in salvo mode compared to the 39-calibre, 27-km range of the original
guns. It is 80 per cent indigenous, with the APU (auxiliary power unit),
electronic dial sights and a few other small items being imported. The Dhanush
prototype suffered a barrel burst during firing trials at Pokhran in August
last year, which has since been resolved.
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| Dhanush Howitzer |
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