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in a historic moment for India’s artillery programme, an indigenous, fully integrated, 155-millimetre artillery gun fired its first rounds of live ammunition at the Proof and Experimental Establishment (PXE) in Balasore, Odisha. The 155-mm, 52-calibre gun, dubbed the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), has been developed by the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO), in partnership with two private sector firms --- the Kalyani Group and Tata Power (Strategic Engineering Division) --- and the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), which is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Business Standard learns that Tuesday’s firing trials, and a second round of testing on Wednesday, met the specified parameters. Although extensive testing remains to be carried out in the months ahead, a project manager describes the actual firing as a “major milestone”. The shortage of 155-mm, 52-calibre artillery is widely considered the Indian Army’s most worrying shortfall. Over the preceding 18 years, several international tenders for buying 1,580 towed guns from the international arms market have stalled. Consequently, no new 155-mm guns have entered the army since the purchase of 410 Bofors howitzers 30 years ago. With the spectre of Bofors dogging international procurement, the DRDO charged its Pune-based Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) with the ambitious ATAGS project to develop an indigenous towed gun. “In the ATAGS programme, we are developing two parallel sources to cut the risk of delays. The private sector is extensively involved under the prime minister’s “Make in India” initiative. This would allow us to open two manufacturing lines, to meet the large numbers gun requirements of the services”, said Dr S Christopher, the DRDO chairman. One gun project is being pursued by Tata Power (SED), while the other is working in parallel under the Kalyani Group. The OFB and Bharat Forge are making the barrels. Going by specifications, the ATAGS is a world-beater. Its “extended range, base-bleed” ammunition has a range of 45 kilometres --- more than any 155-mm, 52 calibre gun in service. ATAGS also has an “all-electric drive”, which is more reliable than conventional hydraulic drives, and improves reaction time and accuracy. With each ATAGS likely to be priced at Rs 15-18 crore, the contract for building 1,580 towed guns would add up to more than Rs 25,000 crore.