I should have known earlier itself that I am dealing with someone with an itchy finger on the trigger, and likely to pull it inside his pants! But then as it is wont to by nature, I give adequate benefit-of-doubt to let them crawl out of the pit of embarrassment!
Firstly, I never said all guns should be 'towed guns'. You need to improve your level of reading comprehension. I lamented at the age-old requirements.....but at the same time I know that changing that requirement would mean wiping out Dhanush/ATAGS from the block. So, in terms of supporting indigenous production I would conceptually come to peace with a towed gun produced locally - if that's the type of gun the Army desires!
To begin with, have some modicum of decency. No need to exhibit your acquired skills of gutter school English which is also dismal to say the least.
Towed gun is the least flexible...if you don't understand anything else just read the very name!
Depends on the area. It may be least flexible inside OFB factory but is most flexible in border areas of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, J&K, Bengal, Assam etc even in large parts of Ladakh where there is extensive network of roads. Only a class 9 road is required/ class 5 may also do. All villages in those areas specially border areas have black top or gravel roads where guns can be towed. I safely assume you were no where near those.
A towed gun vehicle can be detached and used purposefully. In case it gets stuck on ground, gun and towing vehicle can be separated for extraction.
It is cheap in price, operation and maintenance.
Cost and ease of training.
Ease of transportation by helicopters, aircrafts, ships and smaller container cargo carriers.
Just extending boiler plate arguments like terrain, weather blah blah doesn't make your argument stronger - it just makes you appear hollow! I can tell that you haven't even read army's plan in the first place. You're just BSing because there's no cost to BSing on the forum.....shame obviously doesn't deter you!
boiler plate factors like terrain, climate etc is everything the operations are conducted on. Without that there is nothing. It is not areas inside the back of your pants where guns are deployed, recoil and roar.
By army's own doctrine towed guns (52x155mm kind) are meant for plains & desert only....while tracked, wheeled, truck mounted are meant for tricky mountainous & weather conditions! So, when those in 'the know' think limited capability of towed guns is only fine because of its restriction to 'gentler' conditions then why does a pile of horse manure (yourself) feel it's the opposite?
Now this is too much.
Tracked guns for mountains. Discussions or arguments are futile.
Many of our mountainous areas specially on LC opposite Kashmir valley, Poonch, Naushera and Mendhar will laughingly take towed guns. Many parts of Ladakh will also be suitable. With added infrastructure development all areas will support towed guns.
Those light howitzers have different role and purpose.
I don't doubt that 30 years ago, the army folks did a thorough job at looking at all available options and the costs involved. It would have been ok if they had implemented it within that decade. However, the elapse of 3 decades changes the scenario.....and due to bureaucratic and other issues, they're still sticking to an old doctrine! ATAGS was designed to fit that old doctrine!
What is ATGS - basically its towed artillery only. Why are you calling it different. Because something is stuck somewhere ?
If an army is defending its border or invading another, the modern weapons locating radars will give away your precise location. As such modern artillery dictates that you lob several rounds, and then move to a new location quickly to lob few more! If you're dug into the same position then you're inviting some precision retaliation! Indian army fires its towed guns from specific 'firing pits' that are supposed to protect the crew against retaliatory fire........but the flip side is that such pits will become known ahead of time by simple surveillance!
That is ideal but not possible everywhere. It is difficult and time consuming to do that in higher mountains - possibly if you could have even dreamt about it. CB is difficult in many areas.
You probably won't understand any of the details/arguments presented, but I can bet you'll come back with some nonsensical response. Surprise me!
Now, I am prepared to take you as a gunner boy and give you a ram rod at proper place.
Suggest do not indulge in this kind of behaviour.
