Indian army will boost the firepower of its artillery units with the local-made Dhanush 155/45 Caliber towed Gun System. The Indian Army has placed an order for more than 100 Dhanush howitzers. According to an Indian newspaper, the Dhanush is now ready to enter service with the Indian Army
Dhanush 155mm towed howitzer at Defexpo, defense exhibition in India. April 2018 (Picture source Army Recognition)
The Dhanush gun system is based on the design of the Swedish-made Bofors which is in service with the Indian armed forces since the 1980s. This is the third new artillery systems acquired by the Indian Army after the K-9 Vajra 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer and the M777 ultra-light towed howitzer.
The Dhanush is a 155 mm towed howitzer designed and developed by Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), an industrial organization, working under the Department of Defence Production of Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
The initial indigenous development of artillery guns in India started in the 1970s with the Artillery Gun Development Team under Brigadier Gurdyal Singh at Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur. The Dhanush completed development trials in 2018 and was approved for series production in 2019.
The main armament of the Dhanush consists of one 155 mm/52 caliber gun. It has a maximum firing range of approximately 42 km. The howitzer is capable of firing eight rounds per minutes and needs a crew of six to eight artillerymen. The Dhanush towed gun is equipped with an auxiliary power unit that provides it with all the energy necessary for electrical and fluid equipment and can travel at 10 km/h under its own power to reach its firing position.
