Artillery is once again at the center of modern warfare. As militaries increasingly embrace long-range precision strikes, drones, and stand-off weapons, the ability to destroy targets from a distance has become a decisive advantage. Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan described Operation Sindoor as India's first 'non-contact conflict,' highlighting how future wars will rely less on close combat and more on precision firepower. For India, this shift comes as the Regiment of Artillery undergoes its most significant transformation in decades.
The Transformation Agenda
The modernisation is driven by the Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP), which aims to replace legacy guns with a new generation of indigenous artillery systems. For decades, the backbone of India's artillery was the 105mm Indian Field Gun and its lighter variant, the Light Field Gun. Designed and developed in India, these guns served across every terrain—from the Rann of Kutch to the icy heights of Siachen. Today, that legacy is giving way to more powerful 155mm systems.
Leading Indigenous Systems
Leading the transformation is the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), an indigenous gun jointly developed by DRDO and Indian industry. Alongside it is the Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher, which has evolved into one of the world's most capable rocket artillery systems. While the standard Pinaka has been inducted, India has also tested a version capable of striking targets up to 120 kilometers away. The K-9 Vajra-T self-propelled howitzer, originally based on South Korea's K9 Thunder, has been extensively indigenised, with most components now manufactured in India. Work is underway on a Mobile Gun System based on ATAGS to provide highly mobile long-range fire support.
Private Sector Participation
The transformation is not driven by the public sector alone. Private companies play an increasingly important role. Bharat Forge's Kalyani Group has developed systems such as the MArG 39 and Bharat-52, while Tata Advanced Systems and Larsen & Toubro have emerged as key partners in programmes ranging from ATAGS to self-propelled artillery. This growing collaboration reflects India's broader push for defence self-reliance.
Next-Generation Ammunition
India is investing in advanced ramjet-assisted artillery shells capable of traveling significantly farther while maintaining high precision. Such technologies gained prominence after recent conflicts demonstrated that long-range, accurate artillery can shape the battlefield as effectively as air power. With indigenous gun systems, advanced rocket artillery, expanding private-sector participation, and next-generation ammunition under development, India is steadily building one of the world's most diverse artillery ecosystems.
Conclusion
If this momentum continues, India's artillery modernisation could do more than strengthen the Army—it could establish the country as a global firepower superpower in the era of non-contact warfare.
