Dhanush Artillery Gun ready for induction

Abbreviations
OFB - Ordnance Factory Board
GCF - Gun Carriage Factory

India's first indigenous, long-range Artillary gun Dhanush has successfully passed its final test at Pokhran, Rajasthan

• This paves its way for induction into Army
• Earlier the gun had passed under severe cold conditions in Sikkim an Leh an din hot an dhumid weather Balasore, Odisha, Babina in Jhansi
• Indian Army has so far not inducted any new artillery guns since Bofors guns,
• It has placed an initial order for 114 Dhanush guns
• It is expected to order another 400 more

Dhanush Artillery Gun:

• Dhanush is 155mm x 45mm caliber artillery gun.
• It has been developed by OFB, Kolkata based on requirements of Indian Army and manufactured by Jabalpur-based GCF
• It is upgraded version of Swedish 155 mm Bofors howitzers, which india procured in Mid-1980s based on its original designs. 
• So it is also called desi Bofors
• It has strike range of 40 km (11 km more than the imported Bofors guns) with accuracy and precision
• Its 81% components are indigenous sourced and it will be scaled up to 90% by 2019
• Each of this gun costs about Rs.14.50 crore while each shell costs Rs. 1 lakh
• It provides greater fire power, depending on the type of ammunition used
• It also has night firing capability in direct fire mode.
• It armament system comprises a barrel, muzzle brake, breech mechanism and recoil mechansm to fire 155 mm calibre ammunitions
• It has several significant advance features, including an 
• All-electric drive
• High mobiity
• Quick deployability
• Auxiliary power mode
• Advanced communication system 
• automated command and control system
• It has 6 round magazine, instead of a standard 3 round one
• It weighs slightly more than normal due to the larger chamber.
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