Kalyani Group Bharat 52 caliber 155mm autonomous towed howitzer at DefExpo 2018.

The Indian Company Kalyani Group presents its full range of artillery systems at DefExpo 2018, the International Defense and Security exhibition in Chennai, India. One of the latest products in the artillery field showed by Kalyani Group at DefExpo 2018 is the Bharat 52, a long-range 155 mm 52 caliber gun fully designed and developed in India.

Bharat 52 caliber 155mm automous towed howitzer at DefExpo 2018, International Defense and Security Exhibition in Chennai, India. April 12, 2018. (Picture source Army Recognition)

Kalyani Group, established in mid 1960s, is an Indian multi-national with high technology, engineering & manufacturing capability across critical sectors such as Engineering Steel, Automotive, Industrial, Renewable Energy, Urban Infrastructure and Specialty Chemicals. In order to extend its activities in the field of defense, Kalyani Group has launched the development of indigenous artillery systems and combat vehicles.

The Bharat 52 was presented at DefExpo 2018 during a live demonstration showing its ability to be used in fully autonomous conditions thanks to the integration of its own diesel engine and electronic steering system. The Bharat-52 in self-propelled mode is capable of achieving a mobility of 20 km/h.

The Bharat 52 is a new generation of towed gun, providing a highly maneuverable field artillery solution. It has been designed for accuracy, stability and reliability during moving and firing maneuvers, and is based on the requirements of the Indian Army.

The Bharat 52 is able to fire up to a range of 41 km and utilizes self-propelling capability and automatic laying mode. The Anti-backlash drive for elevation and traverse make it a truly unique system and a robust solution for superior battlefield operation. It is designed to operate as an all- weather system and has superior all-terrain mobility.

The Bharat-52 can be easily deployed with a team of six crew members in one minute during day time and 1.5 minutes during night time. It has a total weight of 15 tons, elevation angle from -3° to +72° with a speed of 5° per second. The Bharat 52 is equipped with a fully Load Assist System (LAS) with manual backup arrangement offering a burst rate of fire of 3 rounds in 30 seconds, 16 rounds in 3 minutes in intense rate of fire and 42 rounds in one hour in sustained rate of fire.

The Bharat 52 has successfully completed track trials in 2015 and firing trials in October 2015. The next step is to fire 250 rounds for confirmation of range tables during the year of 2018.