An indigenously developed artillery gun which suffered a barrel burst in field trials earlier this month injuring four army personnel may have to travel back to the drafting board , officials told ET. The malfunction of the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), a 155 mm/52 calibre gun system designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), occurred during internal developmental firing at the Pokhran (Rajasthan) firing ranges on September 12.
The incident is being viewed as a setback to defence modernization efforts, especially since the military had placed on the backburner a proposal last year to acquire 400 artillery guns of an equivalent type from Israeli defence manufacturer Elbit Systems, because the homemade one was still under development. The remaining 1,180 guns were to be produced by the Ordnance Factory Board. The proposal was placed on hold because the DRDO project was heading towards completion.
The mishap has also come at a time when the gun system had successfully completed trials and production of the primary 40 was to start shortly. The barrel , manufactured by Bharat Forge Ltd, exploded right after a firing test that was being supervised by DRDO officials, sources said. When contacted, a DRDO spokesperson said an inquiry committee has been found out to seem into the explanation for the accident. “As soon as the report comes, we can share details. Cause isn't very clear at the present ,” the spokesperson added.
While the explanation for the accident would be revealed after an in depth inquiry, officials said that it could have occurred thanks to the inferior quality of metallurgy or the barrel not meeting prescribed standards. An official told ET that style parameters will need to be brought back to the drafting board to make sure that the gun has reliable technology that's safe for users. The accident comes at a very difficult time, given the border standoff with China and therefore the neighbouring country’s continued collusion with Pakistan on its support for cross-border terrorism.
It also marks an extra delay within the ATAGS project that was started in 2013, with production scheduled to start in 2019. The project was delayed earlier during the event cycle, with issues cropping up within the gun system’s recoil systems also as delays within the manufacture of sub systems. DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) had partnered with private players, including Bharat Forge and Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division for the project, with the understanding that orders would be divided between the two companies after successful trials.
Officials said the accident will impact the induction of an urgently required modern gun system into the Indian Army. The army features a field gun Rationalisation Plan, drawn in 1999, to accumulate 2,800-3,000 155 mm/52-calibre guns of all types and 155 mm/39-calibre lightweight howitzers by 2027. These include 814 truck-mounted guns, 1,580 towed guns and 180 wheeled self-propelled guns.
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