NEW DELHI: The Army got ‘desi’ Bofors when home-made Dhanush howitzer was inducted on Monday.
The much awaited Dhanush 155/45 calibre towed Gun System, also known as ‘desi’ Bofors, will significantly enhance the Army’s firepower.
The Dhanush gun system is based on Bofors acquired in the 1980s and whose purchase was mired in controversy because of alleged corruption.
Artillery inductions have received a boost under the Modi government after a hiatus as Dhanush joins the Army after K-9 Vajra, a tracked self-propelled South Korean howitzer, and the M-777 ultra-light howitzers acquired from the US, ending the gun drought.
Dhanush has been designed and developed by the Ordnance Factory Board at the Gun Carriage Factory at Jabalpur based on the Bofors drawings. The Army has actively supported the indigenous gun production project and has placed orders for over 110 Dhanush systems.
The induction is being hailed as a key milestone as this is the first long range piece of artillery to be produced in India.
The Swedish Bofors proved its worth during the Kargil war when the gun performed exceedingly well in high altitude warfare and was considered to be a key contributor in the success of the Indian Army.
The handing over ceremony of Dhanush artillery gun was held on Monday with the rollout of six gun systems at the Gun Carriage Factory. IANS