After observations made during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, India has decided to adopt a new artillery program to further modernize and mobilize its artillery batteries to respond more effectively to counterfire and drones.
Defense analyst Ranesh Rajan emphasized the role of efficient artillery in today’s conflicts, saying that artillery survival is “more difficult than ever” and that traditional towed howitzers are getting destroyed due to slow emplacement and displacement times, which can be around 10–15 minutes.
The new project planned is known as the “Towed Gun System” (TGS). The army wants to include features such as a lightweight structure to cut down the weight below 15 tons to relocate faster, better fire control systems for improved accuracy, a range of over 62 miles (100 km), and softer recoil systems to reduce recoil and speed up the rate of fire. These features will increase the TGS’s longevity on the battlefield. Currently, discussions with manufacturers are underway.
This decision comes after the army received an Acceptance of Necessity from India’s Defense Acquisition Council.
