Indian Army Artillery Systems : News and Updates

“The mobility and performance trials of the MGS are completed. The standalone firing trials of the armoured cabin are also completed. The MGS is ready to undergo the strength of design trials" DRDO MGS can carry 24 projectiles & crew of 7
I did not consider DRDO having ATAGS in MGS capability, thought only Kalyani had that system yet. A quick deploying MGS with 45 km range is very good, however the major problem will come from loitering ammo. So these need to be protected by some very accurate & mobile RCWS.


Even Egyptians trying to defend from an advancing Israeli army, despite performing so badly, didn't use artillery as a standalone system.

Their defence lines were made of soviet artillery, with air defence systems just 5 kilometres behind.

That's 50 years back.

Ukraine-Russia or Azerbaijan-Armenia will not be the way India will fight a war.

A tank alone is just scarp iron. A Howitzer alone is same scrap. Sam alone is scrap.

Its combined arms. Everyone knows that.

Please everyone read about the formations of major conflicts. Lots to learn.

Stop reading these osint idiots and start reading on actual war accounts.
 
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The point is not turning something into scrap, art of warfare is being able to disable your enemy asset by safe & minimal means. Our armed forces being close to ground reality rightly rebuked tb2 class drones early impact, a pound shop threat perception of a combat aircraft with no defense. But loitering ammo, its a different kind of threat factor that has much more refined impact & capability which does not need any defense, hence they saw utility in it & are procuring it. A single 2kg explosive carrying drone is enough to disable one gun system without targeting the crews. I have seen loads arguing our forces are years behind by refusing unmanned warfare & drones. But imo our forces assessed each threats pros & cons rightly. So if our forces deem suicide drones as good tool to have, so does the enemy. In that regard, its vital to be careful about protection against this new age threat.
 

DRDO, Army Conduct Trials of Upgraded Pinaka Rockets​

JAISALMER: The ‘Make in India’ upgraded Pinaka Mk-I User (Enhanced) Rocket System (EPRS) surface-to-surface extended range flight-testing was conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Army at Pokhran Firing Range in Jaisalmer district on Wednesday & Thursday. Accuracy and consistency were achieved by the rockets, meeting all trial objectives satisfactorily. With these trials, the initial phase of technology absorption of EPRS by the industry has successfully been completed and the industry partners are ready for user trials/series production of the rocket system.

Sources said the enhanced Pinaka MK-1 is an upgraded version and has a range of more than 30km. The 15-foot long rocket weighs around 280kg and can carry warheads up to 100kg.

Official sources said, “The DRDO, along with the army, conducted indigenous (made by private sector) user enhanced range Pinaka rocket surface-to-surface trials with various warhead capabilities.”

Official said, “The EPRS is the upgraded version of the Pinaka variant which has been in service for the last decade. The system has been upgraded with advanced technologies enhancing the range to meet emerging requirements.” Source said the rockets will help replace imports from Russia and would be offered by India to friendly nations for exports.

 

Kalyani Group develops 155 mm artillery​

India's Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL) has developed a 155 mm/52 calibre ultra-light howitzer (ULH) called mountain artillery gun-extended range (MAG-ER).


MAG-ER is an upgraded version of the 155 mm/39 calibre ULH known as the mountain artillery gun (MAG) developed by KSSL in 2020.


MAG-ER is one of the 155 mm artillery guns that the company has manufactured. Apart from MAG-ER, KSSL has developed another 155 mm/52 calibre gun system known as Bharat 52 and a 155 mm/45 calibre gun system called Bharat 45.


According to KSSL, MAG-ER weighs less than 8 tons and has a firing range of 41 km. The howitzer operates at an elevation of 3°–72°. The speed of MAG-ER is 60 km/h in towing condition on blacktop and 24 km/h in cross-country terrains.


The intense rate of fire of the gun is 12 rounds in 3 minutes, and the sustained rate of fire is 42 rounds in 60 minutes. According to KSSL, the gun equips a digital fire control and can be deployed in high mountain areas.


Rahul Bhilare, manager at KSSL, told Janes that the proof-firing trials of the MAG-ER are going on with the Indian Army, and the company is expecting an order from the service soon.


Another artillery that the KSSL developed is Bharat 52, which weighs around 15 tons. According to the KSSL, the gun fires all NATO-standard and in-service ammunition.


Bharat 52 is equipped with an automatic ammunition load-assist system and a steer-by-wire control system for self-propelled mode.
 
Why should DRDO put their money on something which the forces aren't even remotely interested in??
DRDO developed Prahaar from its own money way back in 2011 but it only caught Army's attention post Doklam.
When army said they are not interested in 300mm rocket.
 
When army said they are not interested in 300mm rocket.
AFAIK, there is no on record statement by the Army that it is looking for an indigenous 300mm calibre MBRL after the ToT of BM-30 Smerch fell through.
Developing a 300mm calibre rocket system after you have perfected a 214mm system is no rocket science, its simply going to be the case of enlarging the existing rocket, which allows the rocket to carry more fuel and hence more range.
Solar Group already manufactures Pinaka rockets which it is going to be enlarging for the 150km and 290km systems.
 
AFAIK, there is no on record statement by the Army that it is looking for an indigenous 300mm calibre MBRL after the ToT of BM-30 Smerch fell through.
Developing a 300mm calibre rocket system after you have perfected a 214mm system is no rocket science, its simply going to be the case of enlarging the existing rocket, which allows the rocket to carry more fuel and hence more range.
Solar Group already manufactures Pinaka rockets which it is going to be enlarging for the 150km and 290km systems.
Since all our enemies are using 300mm rockets so there is no point to believe that army doesn't want longer range rockets.
 
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AFAIK, there is no on record statement by the Army that it is looking for an indigenous 300mm calibre MBRL after the ToT of BM-30 Smerch fell through.
Developing a 300mm calibre rocket system after you have perfected a 214mm system is no rocket science, its simply going to be the case of enlarging the existing rocket, which allows the rocket to carry more fuel and hence more range.
Solar Group already manufactures Pinaka rockets which it is going to be enlarging for the 150km and 290km systems.
If you just enlarge it to add more fuel only, won't that affect CEP being larger too aka not very accurate for such unguided rockets? I mean those would drop over a large area instead of smaller target area?
The Solar group one is 130 km & 250km respectively, I heard it from Solar CMD during Defexpo, which was then a proposal they submitted, to make 40-50 rockets at their own expenses for testing. These will also have seeker inclusion option, I think guidance kit probably & may not be whole seeker, but lets see. They also want to take over the whole pinaka production ie become lead integrator like BDL, all the batches & variants. Solar investing heavily in missile, rocket & sat business.

ps: developing 300mm rocket after mastering 214 mm batches is also rocket science right? (hehe could not resist :p)
 
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The guidance mechanism is what is a major portion of cost difference between a short range BM and a long range rocket.

While the Ballistic Missile, even with an outdated guidance on board, will get within 50-100 meters.

To keep the cost down, this is not the case with rockets.

The most sophisticated rockets will have a deviations of 1% of its target range after 50km. So a guided rocket with a range of 100km, can have a deviation of upto 1 kilometer!!!!

I have said it again and again, there's only 1 nation which can fire a ballistic missile as a MBRL, that's USA.

No other nation does it. No one else.
 
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Bharat 52
bharat-52_orig.png
 
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