DRDO's indigenous 50km range Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System howitzer undergoes trials

DRDO-developed indigenous howitzer Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) underwent trials in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar on Sunday. The howitzer is being prepared to meet the requirements of the Indian Army and has a striking range of about 50kms as per reports. The DRDO laboratory Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) collaborated with Bharat Forge Limited, Mahindra Defence Naval System, Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division as well as Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for the development of the made in India Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) project. 

Earlier in September 2020, DRDO's howitzer ATAGS got into an accident in Rajasthan's Pokhran while undergoing firing. An investigation as also launched into the incident. Speaking about the incident, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chairman Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy informed that the scientists will probe the incident in detail. A total of four personnel were injured in this user trial after a barrel burst. 

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DRDO's Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System

The howitzer ATAGS has been called as the best gun system among the ones in its range across the globe and in the previous trials, it had fired at a range of about 47 km. Started in 2013 by DRDO, the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) project is aimed at replacing the old guns in service in Indian Army with a modern 155mm artillery gun. The first proof firing of DRDO's howitzer gun system took place in July 2016 and was successful. Later in December 2016, the ATAGS system with fully integrated 155mm artillery gun fired the first round of live ammunition at an establishment in Odisha's Balasore. 

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The indigenous howitzer broke the world record for 155mm gun by firing the round of ammunition to a distance of over 47 km in the 2017 trials. Later, it also registered a maximum distance of over 48kms with a high-explosive base bleed ammunition and surpassed the maximum range fired by other gun systems in the same range. In 2017, DRDO-developed made in India howitzer ATAGS was first showcased publicly during the 68th Republic Day parade. As on date, the gun system has successfully completed the trials and the manufacturing of the first lot of 40 guns is set to commence soon. 

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DRDO successfully tests QRSAM system

In November 2020,  India surpassed new benchmarks with indigenous defence capabilities after DRDO successfully testfired the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) air defence system. DRDO conducted two tests in close successions, one was held on November 13 to test the Radar and Missile capabilities while today's test was to check the warhead performance on proximity detection. On both occasions, the QRSAM tests were successful in securing a direct hit on its target. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has taken to Twitter to congratulate DRDO for the successful test fires.

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(With inputs from ANI & PTI)