NEW DELHI: Going indigenous to modernise its Corps of Air Defence, the Indian Army may soon conduct trials for select defence weapons systems and equipment, including Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS), gun systems with smart ammunition and missiles of different ranges.
The Indian Army, which had issued a Request For Proposal in 2021 for 220 air defence guns, will conduct trials in July this year. So far, known only as “successor” guns, they will be named once the selection is final.
“The contract for indigenous successor gun system will likely be signed in May-June next year,” said Army Air Defence Director General Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D’Cunha at an informal media briefing.
According to him, “The fashion of guns is back, and the Indian Army has sustained them for good reason, and these guns are effective with fragmentation ammunition.” These gun systems will replace the ageing L-70 and ZU -23mm ones.
Further, the RFI for 1, 41,576 rounds of indigenous SMART fragmentation ammunition has been released. “Every round can be programmed in SMART ammunition with 17 rounds of HE, roughly equating to 1 round of smart. It increases kill probability and reduces logistics. The 23mm guns are fair weather but with a huge rate of fire. It is very effective in its current form, but we have also taken out an RFI for fragmented ammunition.”
The larger profile of the missiles being used by the Air Defence Corps will also change, which includes the QRSAM (Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile), MRSAM (Medium Range Surface to Air Missile, ADGM-SP (Air Defence Gun Missile System- Self Propelled) and VSHORADS (Very Short Range Air Defence System).
These Air Defence systems will support the Army’s mechanised formations, including tanks and armoured personnel carriers. The Indian Army is also plugging the gaps with the armoured deployment in the valleys along the northern borders; thus, this will be important.
Regarding the indigenous Akash missile system, Lt Gen D’Cunha said, “We have signed a contract to procure two regiments for Akash missile systems. Trials have been carried out at high altitude.”
He also added that the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) “has been inducted, and firing of the system is being planned”.