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Dhanush (howitzer)

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Dhanush
The Dhanush in public display.
TypeHowitzer
Place of originIndia
Service history
In service2019
Used byIndian Army
Production history
DesignerOrdnance Factory Board
Designed2010
ManufacturerAdvanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (previously Ordnance Factory Board)
Unit costUS$ 2.11 million (₹ 14 crore)[1]
Produced2015 onwards
No. built24[2]
Specifications
Mass13000 kg
<14000 kg (Upgraded)
Crew6-8
Caliber (Compatible with all NATO 155mm ammunition system)
ActionAuto gun alignment and positioning
BreechScrew type
RecoilElectro-rheological/Magneto-rheological
ElevationServo based, -3°/+70°
TraverseServo based, 30° left or right from centreline[4]
Rate of fire
  • Burst: 3 rounds in 15 sec
  • Intense: 15 rounds in 3 min
  • Sustained: 60 rounds in 60 min
Maximum firing range
  • 38 km[5][6]
  • 42 km (Upgraded)
  • 60 km+ (using Ramjet Propelled Artillery Shell, under development)[7]
Feed systemElectrically operated ammunition handling
SightsThermal sight Gunners display
Maximum speed With towing vehicle 70 kmph, Self propelled >5 kmph with 95kw APU [8]

Dhanush (bow) is a 155 mm towed howitzer manufactured by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India at Gun Carriage Factory Jabalpur, previously a part of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). The gun was approved for service in 2019 and has been inducted into the Indian Army.[9] The Dhanush project was started by OFB to replace the older 105 mm Indian Field Gun, 105 mm Light Field Gun and the Russian 122 mm guns with a modern 155 mm artillery gun.

Development

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The initial indigenous development of artillery guns in India started in the 1970s with the Artillery Gun Development Team under Brigadier Gurdyal Singh at Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur.[10] This resulted in the introduction of 105 mm Indian Field Gun and its variant, the Light Field Gun into the Indian Army.

The purchase of Haubits FH77 guns manufactured by Bofors in the 1980s included technology transfer to OFB. After many years being unable to acquire or import foreign artillery guns due to the corruption charges, OFB developed the Dhanush gun based on the technical data package that was included in the purchase of the FH77. Improvements and modernisation of the original construction included lengthening the gun barrel from 39 calibres to 45, inertial navigation-based sighting system, auto-laying facility, onboard ballistic computation and an advanced day and night direct firing system.[11]

In trials performed in Sikkim at an altitude of 3,500 metres (11,500 ft) at sub-zero temperatures the Dhanush gun performed better than the Bofors gun by 20 to 25 percent in parameters like range, accuracy, consistency, low and high angle of fire, and shoot-and-scoot ability.[11]

Three Dhanush guns were handed over to the Indian Army for user trials in July 2016.[12] Battery trials were expected to be completed by July 2017 with 18 guns entering service in 2017, 36 guns in 2018, and 60 guns in 2019, for an Indian Army order of 114 guns.[13] Each regiment has 18 guns and two are reserved.

The Dhanush experienced a few problem during trials, failing on three occasions in a row in 2017.[14] It was reported in July 2017 that the howitzer failed the last phase of testing, due to the shell hitting the muzzle brake. A redesign of the barrel by widening it was being considered to solve the issue.[15] Later an investigation revealed the incident happened due to a defective shell. Further trials were conducted by firing about 5000 shells in the desert regions and icy glaciers of the Himalayas without any incident.[16] In June 2018, Dhanush completed final development trials.[17] In February 2019, it was approved for series production.[18]

Manufacturing

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The gun was officially inducted by the army on 8 April 2019. 93 Field Regiment becoming one of the first units to be armed with this gun and had the honour to participate in the 71st Republic Day Parade and Army Day parade in 2020 with its new equipment.[19]

A recent manufacturing disruption occurred due to the untimely procurement of a spare part needed for a sub-assembly. The production of Dhanush has restarted following a pause due to a shortage of spare parts. In FY2023–2024, Advance Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) intends to supply the Indian Army with 26 brand-new howitzers. With this, the Army will have 50 Dhanush weapons overall. The Army received the first set of 6 guns in April 2019. Accidents such as barrel bursts and muzzle brake strikes marred the early years of manufacturing. At that point, the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) was in charge of the Gun Carriage Factory in Jabalpur. New terms and conditions were signed with the new entity AWEIL following the corporatization. According to the revised terms, the delivery is proceeding as planned.[20]

Upgrade

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Advanced Weapons and Equipment India upgraded 155 mm/45 calibre into 155 mm/52 calibre gun which can now fire up to 42 kilometres (26 mi). Dhanush weighs less than 14,000 kilograms (31,000 lb). The newly upgraded gun has double baffle muzzle brake and retractable barrel. The upgraded Dhanush successfully completed the testing phase.[21]

Ramjet Propelled Artillery Shell

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IIT Madras along with IIT Kanpur, Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI) are working on redesigning an existing 155 mm shell using ramjet propulsion with 60 kilometres (37 mi)+ range that will be compatible with Dhanush. It will use precision guidance kit for trajectory correction. IIT Madras is ensuring that Munitions India can manufacture the shells.[7]

155 mm Smart Artillery Shell

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IIT Madras is working with Munitions India to develop 155 mm Smart Artillery Shells with a CEP of less than 10 meters that are compatible with firing from Dhanush without the need for modification. Utilizing fin stabilization, canard control, and a three-mode fuse operation, the shell will be guided by NavIC satellites. Its range will be 8 km at minimum and 38 km at maximum.[22]

Variant

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  • Towed variant
  • Self propelled/MGS:[23]
Dhanush Mounted Gun System Prototype

A vehicle mounted variant of the gun called Mounted Gun System was showcased by OFB at the Defexpo 2018 show. The gun is mounted on a 8x8 Tatra truck manufactured under license by Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and has a 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph) cross country speed and 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) road speed.[24]

Users

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Press Trust of India (8 September 2015). "Indian Army to induct indigenous artillery gun Dhanush, first since the Bofors scandal". ibnlive.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Dhanush production starts after spare part prob solved". The Times of India. 6 December 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  3. ^ Kajal, Kapil (21 December 2022). "India outlines 155 mm/52 calibre towed gun programme". Janes. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  4. ^ Bedi, Rahul (9 April 2019). "Indian Army receives first six of 114 Dhanush howitzers". Janes. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019.
  5. ^ Shukla, Ajai (8 February 2014). "Indian artillery guns make a splash at DefExpo". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023.
  6. ^ Bipindra, N C (21 June 2014). "'Dhanush' Ready after Final Trials in Pokhran". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 29 September 2016.
  7. ^ a b MP, Sidharth (21 February 2020). "IIT-M working on next-gen Ramjet-powered 155mm artillery shells for Indian Army". WION. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Dhanush 155mmX45 Calibre Gun". Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination and Services).
  9. ^ Pawar, B.S. (8 May 2023). "Stuck at Aatmanirbharta". forceindia.net. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  10. ^ "An eye on fixed target 'Dhanush' is all set to serve nation: Artillery gun inducted in the Indian Army". NewsBharati. 8 April 2019. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023.
  11. ^ a b Pandit, Rajat (21 June 2014). "Desi Bofors howitzer undergoes final trials in major boost to indigenization". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Gun Carriage Factory hands over 3 'Dhanush' guns to Army". The Hindu. 17 July 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  13. ^ Peri, Dinakar (2 June 2017). "Army to Induct 18 Dhanush Artillery Guns This Year". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 August 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  14. ^ Unnithan, Sandeep (12 August 2021). "Why L&T is offering the Indian army a homegrown artillery gun". India Today. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022.
  15. ^ Arya, Shirshir (21 July 2017). "Desi howitzer fails last phase of tests". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023.
  16. ^ Sagar, Pradip R (6 May 2018). "Shots on target, finally". The Week. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  17. ^ "Dhanush artillery gun clears final test, ready for induction: Official". The Economic Times. Press Trust of India. 8 June 2018. Archived from the original on 10 June 2018.
  18. ^ Bedi, Rahul (19 February 2019). "Indian MoD approves local production of 114 Dhanush howitzers". Janes. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019.
  19. ^ "India's military strength, cultural diversity at display during 71st Republic Day Parade". Business Standard India. 26 January 2020. Archived from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  20. ^ a b Arya, Shishir (6 December 2023). "Dhanush production starts after spare part prob solved". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  21. ^ Kajal, Kapil (20 October 2022). "Defexpo 2022: India upgrades Dhanush towed guns". Janes. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  22. ^ MP, Sidharth (5 February 2024). "IIT-M and Munitions India to develop smart ammo for 155mm artillery guns". WION. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Danush 155 mm Field Howitzer". militarytoday.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  24. ^ Parakala, Akshara (19 April 2018). "Defexpo 2018: OFB showcases 155 mm/52 calibre Mounted Gun System". Janes. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  25. ^ "Indian Army Deploys Upgraded Dhanush Howitzers in Ladakh". ssbcrackexams.com. 17 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  26. ^ Peri, Dinakar (17 September 2023). "Army likely to complete inducting 114 Dhanush guns by 2026". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  27. ^ Ray, Kalyan. "New howitzers, firing ranges near the LAC for Army amidst China boundary dispute". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  28. ^ "Local 155mm ammunition, broader production vendor base: Army counters supply issues amid Russia-Ukraine war". The Indian Express. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.

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