Tata makes India’s first indigenous Howitzers to replace Bofors

Tata Power Strategic Electronics Division (SED), a subsidiary of Tata Group has made a 155/52 mm howitzer is mounted on an 8 wheel Tata truck, as an alternative to the Bofors howitzer.  The Indian Army was in need of more howitzers after the Bofors performed really well during the Kargil War.  Tata’s gun will be Indian Army’s first howitzers after the Bofors were bought amidst controversy over two decades back.

Tata Power SED, the defence arm of the $ 100 billion Tata group, began work on its ‘Mounted Gun Project’ over two years ago. The prototype gun was rolled out of the Tata Power SED facility in Bangalore’s electronic city this October. It will spearhead the group’s bid for the Army’s requirement for 814 mounted gun systems for Rs.8500 crore.

Indian private companies making Indian Defense equipment is a great idea since they can make sure the projects go through successfully and the equipment is also viable.  This is important in view of the controversy that DRDO’s forays – rather unsuccessfully – into defense equipment manufacturing.Source