UDHAMPUR, October 18 — The Indian Army completed the operational induction and forward deployment of a new regiment of indigenous Dhanush 155mm/45-calibre towed artillery gun systems across strategic high-altitude positions under the Northern Command on Sunday.
Manufactured by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL)—carved out of the corporatised Ordnance Factory Board (OFB)—the Dhanush howitzer represents an advanced digital upgrade over the baseline 155mm Bofors system. Capable of firing standard NATO and indigenous ammunition out to 38 kilometres, the artillery system incorporates an inertial navigation unit, muzzle velocity radar, ballistic computer, and integrated night-vision optronics for automated shoot-and-scoot capability.
Army operational commanders confirmed that the artillery systems demonstrated flawless firing accuracy and mechanical reliability during extensive sub-zero trial regimens in Eastern Ladakh and North Sikkim, validating domestic manufacturing prowess under the Make in India defence indigenisation roadmap.
The strategic roadmap of the Army's Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP aimed at standardizing artillery on 155mm calibres), complementary weapon platforms (K9 Vajra-T tracked howitzer, DRDO's ATAGS), the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board into 7 DPSUs in 2021, and defence capital procurement procedures are core syllabus topics in UPSC CDS and CAPF.