Key points
- Contracts signed for procurement of 307 units of ATAGS
- Also include corresponding 327 high mobility 6×6 gun towing vehicles
- ATAGS is an artillery system with a range of more than 40 kilometres
ISLAMABAD: The Indian Ministry of Defence on Wednesday signed contracts with Pune-headquartered Bharat Forge Limited and the Tata Advanced System Limited for the procurement of 307 units of indigenously developed Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) along with corresponding 327 high mobility 6×6 gun towing vehicles, respectively at a total cost of nearly INR69,000 million.
According to The Indian Express, the ATAGS, which replaces vintage artillery guns, has been developed by Pune-based DRDO facility, Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) as the nodal agency.
The Indian government’s increasing military expenditure has come under criticism from various
Signing of contracts
The signing of the contracts comes after recent approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of India for the procurement of the ATAGS.
Developed by DRDO with Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems, ATAGS is an artillery system with a range of more than 40 kilometres, advanced fire control, precision targeting, automated loading, and recoil management, thoroughly tested by the Indian Army in all terrains. The contracts were signed in the presence of Indian Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at South Block in New Delhi on Wednesday.
During the contract signing, the Project Director of ATAGS from DRDO’s Pune-based facility ARDE, who played a pivotal role in the realisation of the project, was felicitated by the defence secretary as an honour for exemplary contribution.
The 155 mm/52 calibre ATAGS is set to replace the vintage and smaller calibre guns and enhance the artillery capabilities of the Indian Army.
Press statement
The Indian MoD said in a press statement, “Being the first major procurement of towed guns from the private sector by the Indian Army, the project will provide a boost to the Indian gun manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole. With the signing, total contracts worth Rs 1.4 lakh crore have been signed by MoD for capital procurement till date in the current financial year 2024-25.”
According to The Hindu, the Indian Defence Ministry said, being the first major procurement of towed guns from the private sector by the Indian Army, the project will provide a boost to the Indian gun manufacturing industry in particular and the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem as a whole.
