Indian Army Artillery

Kunal Biswas · 29-03-12, 01:39 PM

by Ajai Shukla
Business Standard, 29th May 12

Army chief General V K Singh’s leaked letter to defence minister A K Antony, which flagged the country’s lack of defence preparedness, casts a shadow over Defexpo India 2012, which kicks off in New Delhi tomorrow. However, the silver linings in the four-day event would be the impressive presence of several Indian private companies and newcomers in developing complex weaponry, with capabilities the defence ministry (MoD) can no longer ignore.

Among the most visible would be the Pune-headquartered Kalyani Group, which would emphatically project its ambition to develop artillery systems for the Indian Army. With foreign artillery procurement stalled for two decades, Baba Kalyani — who has shaped his flagship company, Bharat Forge, into the world’s largest forgings manufacturer — has committed the finance, the manpower and the strategic mind space he believes would make the Kalyani Group a full-spectrum developer of artillery systems.

Kalyani intends to start by building a 155 mm, 52-calibre towed howitzer, which the army desperately wants. Several years of user trials of foreign guns have only resulted in vendors being rejected, blacklisted, or withdrawn from the contest. Kalyani is now boldly offering an Indian alternative.

“I will offer to the Indian Army a fully developed artillery gun system, integrating all the command and control elements, before 2015,” he asserts.

To this end, the Kalyani Group has imported from Austrian gun manufacturer Maschinenfabrik Liezen (MFL) a service version of its famous 155 mm, 45-calibre, autonomous gun system, which had impressed Indian gunners when they evaluated it in the mid-1980s (though they bought the Bofors gun instead).

The Kalyani Group has also bought, knocked down and transported to India an entire operational artillery gun factory from Swiss company RUAG. Instead of learning the ropes of manufacturing artillery from scratch, Kalyani’s designers in Pune intend to absorb foreign technology, thereby leapfrogging an extended development process. Unlike many Indian private companies, Baba Kalyani is investing his own money into building capabilities. Given Bharat Forge’s hardcore engineering pedigree, he is confident he has the solution.

Says Kalyani: “There are the DRDO ((Defence Research & Development Organisation), the OFB (Ordnance Factory Board) and other excellent organisations that have design talent and capability. What India lacks is the ability to convert designs into manufactured products. This is where the Kalyani Group comes in. Building an artillery gun system is largely about materials, forgings and manufacturing. We have in our group the capability to be a top-class manufacturer of precision products.”

Kalyani Steel would provide the steel and metallurgy. The drives, engine, transmission, etc would be built by Automotive Axles Ltd, the Rs 2,000-crore Kalyani Group company and the largest manufacturer of axles in the region.

Alongside the engineering bravado, there is realism, too, about the Kalyani Group’s inexperience in creating the sophisticated software that underpins the gun control, fire correction and command and control systems, about 50 per cent of the overall gun system.

“Our strategy is to collaborate with entities that already have capabilities in electronics and guidance. (For this) we are in constant dialogue with the DRDO and the MoD. But we are confident about the precision engineering needed for the mechanical parts of the gun,” says Kalyani.

The only “missing link”, as Kalyani puts it, is the reliance on the MoD for testing facilities. Guns under development must be periodically tested through live firing. In India, this can only be conducted in cooperation with the Army. The MoD, rattled by the repeated failures of artillery gun procurement programmes, has already initiated two projects in the public sector to develop an artillery gun. The OFB has been asked to construct two 155 mm, 39-calibre guns from the engineering drawings that came with the Bofors gun in the mid-1980s. The OFB would then try to upgrade these into longer-range 155 mm, 45-calibre guns.

Simultaneously, the MoD has sanctioned Rs 150 crore for the DRDO to develop a 155 mm, 52-calibre gun. The DRDO’s Armament R&D Establishment (ARDE), Pune, would soon float a tender for an Indian industrial partner, in which the Kalyani Group intends to bid.

Such is the aggressiveness within the Group that it intends to develop its own gun on a parallel track, even if it becomes an industrial partner to the DRDO for the ARDE’s gun. Rajinder Bhatia, who would head this project, says, “We are willing to compete against ourselves. On one track, we will work with the DRDO, funded by the government. On our own track, we will fund ourselves. Baba Kalyani is willing to commit Rs 100 crore for this.”

Broadsword: Defexpo 2012: Kalyani Group artillery to be featured

bhramos · 29-03-12, 06:14 PM

L&T , Samsung Techwin to develop self-propelled artillery

COIMBATORE, MARCH 29:
Engineering giant Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) has joined hands with the South Korean defence equipment manufacturer Samsung Techwin Co Ltd (STW) for the development of self-propelled artillery.

According to the announcement made at the DEFEXPO 2012 at New Delhi, the two companies would cooperate in the Indian Army’s Tracked Self-Propelled Artillery Programme. L&T would be the lead partner in the exercise.

New system

In a statement to the stock exchanges, both companies said that they would offer the latest Self-Propelled Tracked Howitzer system to meet the needs of the Indian Army.

This cooperation would lead to new opportunities for the partners working together in both Indian and global markets, according to Mr M.V. Kotwal, Member, L&T Board and President, Heavy Engineering.

Explaining the synergy between the two companies, the notification said that L&T had been a successful innovator and systems integrator for key systems and technologies. It had indigenously developed and supplied complete systems for the Indian defence and aerospace sectors.

‘K9 Thunder'

The South Korean company was the OEM for the Korean Self-Propelled Howitzer ‘K9 Thunder’, which it claimed as the ‘largest and most successful’ of the 155 mm/52 calibre self-propelled artillery systems globally today.

As the lead partner, L&T would indigenously produce the Self-Propelled Howitzer and the South Korean company STW would provide key technologies for localising the K9 Thunder.

During the production phase, the joint offering would have over 50 per cent local content. L&T has planned to roll out these guns from its defence equipment facility at Talegaon near Pune.

A proposal to develop the 155mm/52 calibre tracked, self-propelled artillery, with L&T as the lead partner, was submitted last year to the Ministry of Defence.

bhramos · 29-03-12, 06:21 PM

Kalyani Group artillery to be featured

bengalraider · 29-03-12, 08:00 PM

Well it's real, at least as a mock-up. the vehicle depicted is as SPIEZ correctly estimated a 12X12 to be more specific it is the TATA LPTA5252 12X12 vehicle developed specifically for TEL applications for missiles like the Prahaar, Brahmos LACM and Nirbhay . the vehicle has high- mobility features like ABS, central tire inflation system auxiliary gear box with high and low speed mode and differential locks system. The Vehicle is powered by a 520BHP Turbo diesel engine and generally is meant to be used in a 12x8 configuration on normal roads the 12x10 or 12x12 being used as per terrain requirements.

nitesh · 29-03-12, 09:38 PM

Pinaka test fired

Pinaka test fired, IBN Live News

Kunal Biswas · 30-03-12, 12:44 AM

bengalraider · 02-04-12, 11:03 PM

Gentlemen one more scoop from DEFEXPO by yours truly, Ashok Leyland has tied up with KMW to offer the DONAR SPG TO THE IA, what is the DONAR well in simple words it's the Pzh2000 gun on a smaller tracked carrier that makes it a helluva more compact system.

from the Leyland stall
563922_10150781359580775_506990774_12050373_1498412248_n.jpg

The DONAR

Kunal Biswas · 04-04-12, 04:09 PM

Kunal Biswas · 04-04-12, 04:09 PM

Btw, Denel is back with TATA..

Patriot · 04-04-12, 05:21 PM

Kunal, is this Denel & TATA tie-up is for only SPG or for 155mm artillary as well. What will be the platform for the SPG? is TATA going to come up with some wheeled version of the SPG with Denel's Gun?

Kunal Biswas · 04-04-12, 05:24 PM

Yes, The SPG is a Gun mounted system ( Marketing Term )

Right now only MGS, Not Towed or tracked..

The platform is the TATA 8x8 truck, Same one used for Prahaar..

If selected it can be also available in towed and tracked..

PS. Looks like Denel did took advice from Sayareakd Sir

bengalraider · 04-04-12, 10:26 PM

As of now the TATA 8x8 and electronics are being assembled in India and then sent to South Africa for integration with the gun, the total system is right now competing with worldwide artillery companies for a contract by the Indonesian military.The gun is the same as the DENEL T5-52 CONDOR that was developed initially in the nineties keeping India in mind.
As per my conversation with the TATA team they are trying to pressurize the GOI into letting the artillery division of DENEL free from the ban the logic being that no wrongdoing was detected in the arty tender by DENEL.

pankaj nema · 04-04-12, 10:28 PM

Artilerry Modernisation is finally moving forward as per the info coming from Def expo 12

Things are looking good

Kunal Biswas · 06-04-12, 05:21 PM

Punj Lloyd JV with Serbian firm to upgrade 130MM M46..

Kunal Biswas · 06-04-12, 05:22 PM

BEML SPGH wheeled & tracked..

About ARZU SPGH, The chassis is of Arjun MBT

Indian Army Artillery

Kunal Biswas

bhramos

bhramos

bengalraider

nitesh

Kunal Biswas

bengalraider

Kunal Biswas

Kunal Biswas

Patriot

Kunal Biswas

bengalraider

pankaj nema

Kunal Biswas

Kunal Biswas

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