The Indian Army has proposed acquiring an indigenous Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAS)
The Indian Army has submitted a proposal to acquire the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), an indigenously built weapon capable of being deployed in high altitude areas, after extensive trial firings over several years. The Army has recommended acquiring 310 of these towed guns, and the proposal will be approved by the Rajnath Singh-led Ministry of Defence soon.
The ATAGS was developed in collaboration with the Kalyani Group and Tata Advanced Systems Limited by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Army put the gun through rigorous testing in a variety of environments, including the Rajasthan desert and high-altitude ranges in Sikkim. The gun can be used in high-altitude areas along India’s border with Tibet, where the Army is engaged in a tense standoff with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Given the ongoing border crisis between Ladakh and China, the ATAGS’ high altitude performance is critical in its design. The Indian Army conducted a number of trials, including continuous firing drills at heights of over 13,000 feet using only the backup battery and checking the gun’s performance at extremely low temperatures.
The indigenous gun has unrivalled extensive variety, with its Extended Range Sub-Bore Boat Tail (ERFB BT) ammunition capable of striking targets at a range of 35 km and ERFB BB (Base Bleed) ammunition capable of striking targets at a range of 45 km. Notably, in 2017, the ATAGS was successfully launched at a distance of 47 kilometers. Compared to the NATO standard of 23-litre chambers, the ATAGS is built with a larger 25-litre chamber, giving it a slightly longer range of 48 km.
