During the Independence Day celebrations on August 15, the indigenously created artillery gun ATAGS (Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System), manufactured under the government’s Make in India initiative, will be launched from the Red Fort for the first time in India’s history.
Along with the conventional “25 Pounder British guns” that have been fired till today, the entire indigenous gun created and built by the DRDO will fire the ceremonial 21 Gun Salute. This was accomplished by a group from the DRDO’s Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, under the direction of scientists and artillery officers.
“On the occasion of the spirit of freedom, folding cannon is a magnificent present for India,” remarked Sangam Sinha, DG (R&M), DRDO. The aiming range of this cannon, which is the longest in the world, is 45 to 48 kilometres.
The fact that it is Made in India by Bharat Forge is the most important aspect. The 21-gun salute on Independence Day is being performed with an indigenous artillery piece. The ATAGS is currently located at the Red Fort and was created by DRDO. This will be a huge help to the Indian Army, he continued.
The ATAGS project was started in 2013 by DRDO to replace older guns in service in the Indian Army with a modern 155mm artillery gun. ARDE partnered with two private firms Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems Limited for the manufacturing of this specialised gun.
The 155mm calibre ATAGS Gun System has modern features like high mobility, quick deployability, auxiliary power mode, advanced communication system, autonomous command and control system, and nighttime direct-fire capabilities. Its shooting range is 48 kilometres. The Bimodular charge system is fired in Zone 7 by the top-tier ATAGS system. As of yet, no other Gun is known to have that capability.