The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), School of Artillery (SoA) and Indian Military Review (IMR) organised a two-day seminar on Artillery Technology at the School of Artillery, Devlali, on 26-27 February 2020.
The aim of thE seminar was to expose delegates to Artillery Technology through direct interaction with the researchers, designers, developers, and manufacturers both in the public and private sector.
The speakers included domain experts who were involved in conceptualising artillery operations, framing qualitative requirements, designing and developing to specifications, prototyping, manufacturing and controlling the quality of artillery equipment, ammunition and missiles.
It was the first time that students at the School of Artillery got to hear the best brains in the country about artillery modernisation.
One of the mandates of CENJOWS is to bring the industry and users together for better synergy. The OFB and private industry shared their capabilities and emerging technologies. Industry representatives were able to hear interact with professionals and practitioners of the art of warfare attending courses at the SoA to understand and deliver state-of-the-art equipment, which should perform beyond the soldier’s expectation. The students used the unique opportunity to interact meaningfully with the tacticians, scientists, designers, developers, manufacturers, quality controllers and acquisition experts and squeeze the maximum mileage from this event.
Leading factories of the OFB, ie, the Gun Carriage Factory, Gun and Shell Factory, Cossipore, Ordnance Factory Medak and Ordnance Factory Dehradun who are all involved in the manufacture of components of artillery gun systems or the whole equipment participated with experts. From the DRDO, the two leading laboratories – High Explosives Material Research Laboratory and Armament Research & Development Establishment – sent there speakers. The Director General of Quality Assurance has his best experts in Ammunition and Armamentand the brightest minds in the private industry were there to educate the delegates on the projects that they had undertaken.
With support from the Army Training Command and the Directorate General of Artillery, an all-encompassingagenda was drawn up. There was something of value for all who attended – from AIGs to YOs to LGSC students and even some of the experts from various organisations.
Going beyond the precis, which impart basic knowledge on concepts and theories with facts and figures, IIT graduates, post graduates from foreign universities, officers with rich experience in the Regiment of Artillery shared their thoughts on emerging technologies and latest developments.
The future of artillery is intricately linked to the future of warfare and the future battlefield. As far as the Indian Army is concerned and the threats that it is likely to face in the next two decades, no dramatic changes are foreseen in the role and importance of artillery. If it all, the importance and the need for massive indirect fire is only likely to increase. Short and swift wars are even likely to enhance the requirement of artillery fire. No doubt, dramatic changes are taking place in surveillance and target acquisition, engagement techniques and precision delivery of munitions. These are only enhancing the effect of artillery fire. In today’s battlefield, preponderance of artillery is a battle-winning factor. We must always have an edge of the over the enemy in over ability to plaster him and pulverize him in all engagements.
Rapid changes are taking place in the artillery. The pace was unimaginable 10 or 20 years ago. The OFB is no longer a white elephant. It has begun in-house design and development, which is forcing Indian and foreign companies to team together. The private sector has taken bold steps and committed a lot of resources to producing record-breaking equipment, which is globally accepted. There are hardly any big-ticket land systems, which are not within their capabilities to produce, albeit with foreign collaboration.
Artillery guns are judged on the basis of range, accuracy and consistency. The Bofors gun had set a benchmark in these parameters ever since it was inducted. In the new systems being brought to the market all three sectors – DRDO, OFB and Private Industry – have proved themselves. The seminar was the platform to learn how they had done it.
The adage which says we should have 30 per cent state-of-the-art, 30 per cent current and contemporary and remainder 40 per cent in the final stages of their lifecycle, may not hold true any longer.
The Indian Army is changing bulk of its artillery to the medium class. It will have to start increasing the percentage of precision guided munitions (PGM) at a much faster pace. It is imperative that India produces its own indigenous PGMs and loitering missiles so as to reduce the exorbitant costs involved in importing them. Some armies give more attention to the projectile rather than to the guns that fire them.
Space based surveillance means, new class or radars and UAVs are changing the nature of warfare. Increased detection and identification ranges have introduced stand-off warfare into the military glossary.
The Infantry may be the Queen of Battle, but Artillery is the King of Battle. However, for the King to retain its throne, indirect fire must be able to penetrate and destroy the enemy’s anti-access and area denial networks at longer ranges, thereby creating windows of opportunity for exploitation by the Army.
The delegates heard about emerging and advanced technologies. The instructors, students and delegates were able to see the latest equipment which has not yet been introduced in service. It is good to have state-of-the-art equipment in the inventory, but the aim should be to acquire indigenous technologies for the equipment that the Army needs today. To that end it was very heartening to learn that no effort was being spared to develop capabilities. What the Ordnance Factories and the private sector was doing, was an eye-opener for the delegates and the instructors who attended.
After many years a number of new systems are being inducted, which were among the best available. Exposing the users to the development process, would help them to appreciate and exploit the equipment much better.
Some excellent work was being carried out by the DRDO on Pinaka, ATAGS and artillery ammunition. The DRDO has come of age and has transitioned from the time they were trying to discover themselves about 30 years ago. Yet, they have to go through hits and misses. But now they have more hits than misses. There was a time when DRDO was happy working in the background and there was a gap between them and the users.
Finally, Napoleon’s aphorism, “God fights on the side with the best artillery” appears as true today as it did almost three centuries ago.
A detailed report on the Seminar will be published in the April 2020 issue.
