NEW DELHI: In order to enhance the offensive long-range firepower of the Indian Army, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Wednesday signed contracts for the procurement of 155 mm/52 calibre advanced towed artillery gun systems (ATAGS) and high-mobility 6x6 gun towing vehicles at a cost of about Rs 6,900 crore.
The ATAGS and the high-mobility vehicles will be procured from Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced System Limited, respectively.
The contracts were signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at South Block in New Delhi. Dwelling on the significance of the move, the MoD explained, “The 155 mm/52 calibre ATAGS will replace the vintage and smaller calibre guns and enhance the artillery capabilities of the Indian Army. The procurement of this gun system marks a significant milestone in the modernisation of the artillery regiments, enhancing operational readiness.”
The ministry added, “ATAGS, renowned for its exceptional lethality, will play a crucial role in bolstering the Army’s firepower by enabling precise and long-range strikes.”
With this, a total of contracts worth Rs 1.4 lakh crore have been signed by the MoD for capital procurement so far in the current financial year (2024-25).
During the signing of the contract, the project director of ATAGS from the DRDO’s Pune-based facility, Armament Research and Development Establishment, was felicitated by the Defence Secretary as an honour for the role he played in the realisation of the project.
According to the MoD, as it is the first major procurement of towed guns from the private sector by the Indian Army, “the project will provide a boost to the Indian gun manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole.”
The MoD also noted the contribution of the project to economic growth in consonance with the Make in India initiative.