Indigenous Bofors gun Dhanush inducted

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/india/i...h-first-since-the-bofors-scandal-1087757.html

Indian Army to induct indigenous artillery gun Dhanush, first since the Bofors scandal

Jabalpur: In what would be a shot in the arm for a force that has not had a new 155mm artillery gun inducted since the Bofors scandal of 1987, the Indian Army is set to soon be handed over the indigenously-developed howitzer 'Dhanush', also known as 'desi bofors'.

"Dhanush, the indigenously-developed 155mm gun with 45 calibre having advanced features, is likely to be handed over to the army in November this year," Senior General Manager of Jabalpur's Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), NK Sinha, said.

Picture source: http://ofbgcf.nic.in/
#bofors #desi bofors #dhanush #Indian Army
The gun, a towed howitzer with a strike range of 38-km, has been developed by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Kolkata, after going through the design and voluminous documents running into more than 12,000 pages which were delivered to India under the first phase of Transfer of Technology (ToT) as part of the Bofors gun deal in late 80s, an official said.

Costing about Rs 14 crore apiece, Dhanush is comparable to most current generation weapons systems which are in use by different countries, the official added.

Along with electronic gun-laying and sighting systems and other features, the indigenously-developed gun has an enhanced 11-km range as against the gun range of 27-km of the imported Bofors.

Indian army had stationed a special team of officers at GCF to help monitor the progress, coordinate proof resources and provide guidance regarding the qualitative requirements vis-a-vis the gun system from the user's perspective, the official said.

"A team from the 506 Army Base Workshop, close to CGF, was constantly providing technical inputs which it acquired for the project for over more than two decades," he added.

The Swedish Bofors company (now owned by Britain's BAE System) could not complete the ToT for the 155mm howitzer with 39 caliber to India as the deal got embroiled in a major political row over alleged kickbacks in 80s.

Subsequently, OFB struggled for a long time to produce the howitzer indigenously despite the fact that it has manufactured and supplied several components or spare parts to keep the Bofors howitzers operational in India, especially during Kargil war.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

'Desi bofors' Dhanush to end Army's search for indigenously-developed 155mm howitzer

Jabalpur: In what would be a shot in the arm for a force that has not had a new 155mm artillery gun inducted since the Bofors scandal of 1987, the Indian Army is set to soon be handed over the indigenously-developed howitzer 'Dhanush', also known as 'desi bofors'.

"Dhanush, the indigenously-developed 155mm gun with 45 calibre having advanced features, is likely to be handed over to the army in November this year," Senior General Manager of Jabalpur's Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), NK Sinha, told PTI here.

The gun, a towed howitzer with a strike range of 38-km, has been developed by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Kolkata, after going through the design and voluminous documents running into more than 12,000 pages which were delivered to India under the first phase of Transfer of Technology (ToT) as part of the Bofors gun deal in late 80s, an official said.

Costing about Rs 14 crore apiece, Dhanush is comparable to most current generation weapons systems which are in use by different countries, the official added.

Along with electronic gun-laying and sighting systems and other features, the indigenously-developed gun has an enhanced 11-km range as against the gun range of 27-km of the imported Bofors.

Indian army had stationed a special team of officers at GCF to help monitor the progress, coordinate proof resources and provide guidance regarding the qualitative requirements vis-a-vis the gun system from the user's perspective, the official said.

"A team from the 506 Army Base Workshop, close to CGF, was constantly providing technical inputs which it acquired for the project for over more than two decades," he added.

The Swedish Bofors company (now owned by Britain's BAE System) could not complete the ToT for the 155mm howitzer with 39 caliber to India as the deal got embroiled in a major political row over alleged kickbacks in 80s.

Subsequently, OFB struggled for a long time to produce the howitzer indigenously despite the fact that it has manufactured and supplied several components or spare parts to keep the Bofors howitzers operational in India, especially during Kargil war.

The army has been desperately looking for a 155mm howitzer for more than a decade now. In the past, it had roped in an Israeli company, Soltam, to upgrade the imported, Russian-made 130mm gun to 155mm at GCF. But the project, after the upgraded gun's trial, got caught up in some dispute, the official said.

For well over seven years, the army has been worried over its dwindling artillery strength and has frequently raised concerns over it. The army made several attempts to procure four types of howitzers, but all of them proved abortive due to one reason or the other.

Three years ago, the Defence Acquisition Council had decided to look for artillery guns within the country and asked OFB to start manufacturing howitzers.

Towards that end, former defence minister AK Antony had flagged off a 155mm gun manufacturing facility at GCF on September 22, 2012.

The above move had come after four international howitzer firms -- Soltam, Denel, Singapore Technologies Kinetics and Rheinmetall -- were blacklisted by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over allegations of graft.

"The project has received support and active cooperation from other ordnance factories, PSUs such as SAIL, BEL, and many private sector companies. Their support has made the project a huge success," Sinha said.

Three Dhanush guns have already been readied and an equal number of the howitzers are being manufactured in the more- than-a-century-old GCF for delivery to the army.

Army has demanded the six howitzers following successful summer and winter trials of the artillery gun. The trials saw some 2,000 rounds being successfully fired from the howitzer in different climatic conditions in India in snowy, desert and hostile areas, the official added.

The gun will shortly go through maintainability and engineering evaluation and GCF was confident that their product would clear the same, the official said.

Army is looking to acquire a total of 114 of the Dhanush guns from GCF to augment its firepower, he said.

The army needs a huge number of howitzers of different types and Indian firms, some with the help of foreign manufacturers, are in the race to fulfil that demand with the gun's variants.
http://zeenews.india.com/news/india...enously-developed-155mm-howitzer_1669429.html

 

[sob]

This is indeed a very good news. We now need the GCF to ramp up production while maintaining the quality standards.

 

[bengalraider]

As of now it's only three more guns apart from the three prototypes , making it a total of six. we have a lot more to build.

 

[sob]

If I remember the order for Dhanush is around 400 nos.

 

[Blackwater]

If I remember the order for Dhanush is around 400 nos.

will we still go for M777 guns from amrika????

 

[bengalraider]

If I remember the order for Dhanush is around 400 nos.

As of now officially only order for 114 signed, the requirement is much higher. This 114 is only the first lot.
The Plan is for nearly 1800pieces of 155mm guns with the first 114 being 155/45 the rest 245 are to be the still untested 155/52 model.
the rest of the 1400 are to be ATAGS however that is too early to say.

 

[bengalraider]

will we still go for M777 guns from amrika????

M777 is a totally different requirement related to the mountain divisions, my guess is yes we're gonna get M777 as well.

 

[blueblood]

As of now it's only three more guns apart from the three prototypes , making it a total of six. we have a lot more to build.

This is indeed a very good news. We now need the GCF to ramp up production while maintaining the quality standards.

The projected numbers of 414 guns are not gonna happen till private sector players are roped in. Even the peak production rate post 2018 of 36 guns/ year will give you the timeline of ~2025. Or more orders from army could result in a secondary assembly line.

Too little too late but good news nevertheless.

 

[lcafanboy]

They should stop and scrap this wasteful project immediately. These people are lunatic. Kalyani steel has already made a 52 caliber gun which weighs less and they have capacity to make a barrel a day. which means 365 guns in a year if pressed full throttle and may even be cheaper and better to these weighty monsters. I had seen the interview on CNBC where they showed off their plant which has such a capacity. And mind you these are already tested guns because a few years ago they had taken over Austrian company producing these guns and have since then brought that plant in INDIA.

They can also produce light weight 155mm howitzers with 39 caliber at a fraction of the cost of M777. But for the sake of bribes and just to get R&D money so these idiots at ordinance factory can enjoy these Guns are not being procured. So much for make in INDIA.

During kargil war Kalyani steel produced artillery shells and they can easily make for all the shortages. The best thing to do is privitise these money sucking govt ordinance factories.

 

[sob]

Instead of the IA it seems it is DRDO/OFB combine which is trying to put roadblocks in the Kalyani project.

We should have a sustained campaign to test these two guns head to head.

 

[salute]

will we still go for M777 guns from amrika????

yeah those are ultra light weight guns,
army can hook it under chinook and take it to mountains,siachen.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://thediplomat.com/2015/09/india-gets-its-first-new-artillery-guns-since-the-1980s/

India Gets Its First New Artillery Guns Since the 1980s

 

[Blood+]

They should stop and scrap this wasteful project immediately. These people are lunatic. Kalyani steel has already made a 52 caliber gun which weighs less and they have capacity to make a barrel a day. which means 365 guns in a year if pressed full throttle and may even be cheaper and better to these weighty monsters. I had seen the interview on CNBC where they showed off their plant which has such a capacity. And mind you these are already tested guns because a few years ago they had taken over Austrian company producing these guns and have since then brought that plant in INDIA.

They can also produce light weight 155mm howitzers with 39 caliber at a fraction of the cost of M777. But for the sake of bribes and just to get R&D money so these idiots at ordinance factory can enjoy these Guns are not being procured. So much for make in INDIA.

During kargil war Kalyani steel produced artillery shells and they can easily make for all the shortages. The best thing to do is privitise these money sucking govt ordinance factories.

For your information kid,the GCF can produce multiple barrels a day!! @pmaitra

 

[pmaitra]

For your information kid,the GCF can produce multiple barrels a day!! @pmaitra

I remember someone once stated that while Poland makes one prototype for testing in a year, India makes one every month. I would assume you are right, but I have no concrete information.

I think I'll ask @Twinblade to confirm if he is aware.

 

[Hari Sud]

For the manufacture of Dhanush gun, does India owe anything like license fees to Bofors as we are using some of their technology transferred in 1987.

Bofors/BAE can always claim license fees as some portion of their technology has been used.

Can somebody clarify this point?

 

[LETHALFORCE]

For the manufacture of Dhanush gun, does India owe anything like license fees to Bofors as we are using some of their technology transferred in 1987.

Bofors/BAE can always claim license fees as some portion of their technology has been used.

Can somebody clarify this point?

There seems to be a lot of modifications if any tot was used?
One is dhanush has longer range than bofors. If there was any statue of limitation or patent they must have expired on the 25 plus year old deal. The indian govt was criticized for blacklisting denel and others now we know why.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://www.defenseworld.net/news/13..._Dhanush____Howitzer_In_November#.VfTc2Nq9KSM

Indian Army To Get First ‘Dhanush’ Howitzer In November

 

[Twinblade]

I remember someone once stated that while Poland makes one prototype for testing in a year, India makes one every month. I would assume you are right, but I have no concrete information.

I think I'll ask @Twinblade to confirm if he is aware.

Correct. Also, this ->

 

[3The Crossbow]

will we still go for M777 guns from amrika????

Definitely we should .

dhanush may prove just a pain in ass for army considering their near 10 ton weight . Bofors were successful as they weigh half of what these giants do.

also to be noted it is 45 calibre 155 mm howitzer drdo is in pocess to work on 52 caliber 155mm owitzer though.

Kalyani group bought the famous Noricum and brought the entire company to India. Bharat forge howitzer is 52 calibre 155mm howitzer and much better range perhaps close to 50 km and should have been bought by army instead of dhanush. the cost factor is also important where bharat 52 will be produced at around 13 crores.

No matter what though kalyani group howitzer will get global customer but chances for dhanush are bleak.

There is a huge bureaucratic babu lobby of DRDO which in the name of make in India is looting India.

there should have been proper trials for both of these howitzer against each other. Indian army ordered 400 + so that drdo lobby is happy and do not obstruct their plans to buy more potent weapon system.

M777 on other hand is in entire different class and is meant for our mountain strike corps. these are ultra light and can be easily transported using chinook helis.

Bharat Forge has already developed an ultra light howitzer weighing 800 kg the tech is imported from USA but completely made in India. they are developing a counter to M777 howitzer gun we are importing from USA.

But it seems despite being patriotic unlike upa this government lacks serious brain to invest in the right areas.