Indian Army Modernizes 105mm Field Gun with Automatic Aiming

The Indian Army has taken a step to make the 105 mm Indian Field Gun (IFG), the mainstay of the Regiment of Artillery a deadlier weapon platform. The move is part of the broader modernisation drive undertaken by the armed forces. The army has modified an Indian Field Gun to be able to aim automatically, this means that the manual turning of dials to set the gun on target, or to lay it in gunner terminology, will now be done via a computer. This will enable the artillery crew to calculate firing solutions automatically and adjust their aim. The army's FH-77B artillery gun, popularly known as the bofors gun, along with newer systems such as the K-9 Vajra and the M-777 are also laid on target via a computer. "The laying of the gun via the automatic gun-laying technology will improve the effectiveness of the gun. This new addition will improve the response time of fire units and make the guns more accurate. Faster engagement time will also help with increasing the rate of fire. These developments will greatly be appreciated by troops seeking artillery fire," said a source in the army. The auto‑laying system reduces target acquisition and re‑laying time by replacing manual cranks with motorized drives integrated into digital fire‑control systems. It enhances precision in high‑angle mountain warfare and improves survivability through faster “shoot and scoot” operations, allowing crews to fire and relocate swiftly. Interestingly, the gun has been modified internally at the 506 Army Base Workshop. The Regiment of Artillery is in the midst of a massive re-calibration drive known as the Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan. Under this plan, formulated after the Kargil War, the gun artillery regiments of the Indian Army are expected to move to the 155mm caliber, currently most guns with artillery fire the 105mm rounds. The army has in the last few years has inducted the indigenous Dhanush, BAe systems M-777 and the K-9 self-propelled guns from South Korea. The army has also ordered 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Guns (ATAGS). All of these guns fire the 155mm artillery shell.