In a boost to the Indian Army’s firepower capabilities, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on March 26 signed contracts with Pune-based Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems Limited for the procurement of 307 units of indigenously developed Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS). The deal, valued at nearly Rs 6,900 crore, also includes 327 high-mobility 6×6 gun towing vehicles.
The ATAGS, designed to replace vintage artillery systems, has been developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a Pune-based facility under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The procurement is part of the Buy Indian–Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured (IDDM) category, reinforcing India’s commitment to self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
The signing of these contracts follows the recent approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), marking a major step in enhancing the Army’s artillery capabilities. The ATAGS procurement will equip 15 Artillery Regiments with state-of-the-art 155mm/52 calibre guns, significantly modernising India’s military firepower.
The signing ceremony took place at South Block in New Delhi in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. During the event, the Project Director of ATAGS from ARDE was felicitated for his pivotal contribution to the project.
Developed jointly by DRDO, Bharat Forge, and Tata Advanced Systems, ATAGS boasts advanced features such as:
- A firing range exceeding 40 kilometres
- Advanced fire control and precision targeting systems
- Automated ammunition loading and recoil management
Compatibility with C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) systems such as the Artillery Combat Command and Control System (ACCCS) ‘Shakti’
The system has undergone rigorous testing in all terrains and weather conditions to ensure its operational effectiveness. Notably, ATAGS was a part of India’s ceremonial 21-gun salute during the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in 2022, marking the first time an indigenous gun was included alongside the traditional British-origin ’25 Pounder’ guns.
The ATAGS project was initiated in 2013 by DRDO to replace the Indian Army’s older artillery systems. The ARDE led the development, collaborating with several DRDO laboratories, including:
- Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE)
- Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE)
- Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE)
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR)
- Defence Electronics Applications Laboratory (DEAL)
A key milestone was achieved in July 2016 when proof firing of the ATAGS was successfully conducted at DRDO’s PXE facility in Balasore. In subsequent trials at Pokhran Field Firing Range in 2017, the system set a record by achieving a target range of nearly 48 kilometres.
The MoD, in a press statement, highlighted the significance of this procurement, stating, “Being the first major acquisition of towed guns from the private sector, this project will strengthen India’s domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem and provide a boost to the Indian gun manufacturing industry.”
With this latest acquisition, total capital procurement contracts signed by the MoD in the current financial year 2024-25 have now reached Rs 1.4 lakh crore.
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