Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 7 (ANI): The Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed a new, powerful howitzer, the Indigenous 155mm/52 Calibre Mounted Gun System, which can quickly shoot and move.

The DRDO lab, Vehicle Research and Development Establishment, has developed the MGS. The goal was to develop a fully indigenous system that could operate effectively in challenging terrain and engage enemy targets quickly and accurately.

Speaking to ANI, Director VRDE G Ramamohana Rao said, 'This is a 155mm/52 calibre gun. Such guns already exist, but they are towed separately and take time to deploy. Our MGS is different. It is quick, just 80 seconds to deploy and 85 seconds to move. It is fully made in India and can also be exported to other countries'

High mobility Artillery was a technology gap that needed to be addressed, for which the Mounted Gun System (MGS) was a viable solution. Accordingly, VRDE has taken up a Technology Demonstrator Project, 'Design and Development of 155mm/52 calibre Mounted Gun System (MGS) based on ATAGS'.

The goal of this Technology Demonstrator (TD) project was to design & develop an indigenous Mounted Gun System. The gun system of ATAGS has been adapted to an 8X8 cross-country wheeled vehicle along with stabilisers and a necessary interface structure. State-of-the-art technologies in the area of carrier vehicles, stabilisers, Armoured Cabin, Ammunition handling cranes, on-board power sources and integrated compact electronic controllers have been developed in this project.

Mounted Gun System (MGS) is a cross-country truck-mounted heavy artillery gun system (based on ATAGS 155mm/52Cal) with excellent shoot and scoot capability and the highest range of fire in this class. It has been indigenously developed by involving Indian Industries, DPSU, and Premier Academia, under the leadership of DRDO.

MGS has high mobility in terms of gradient, side slope, trench crossing, and cross-country capability and can operate in both desert and mountainous terrain.

Hence, the advantage of this system is that it can be rapidly deployed, matching the mobility of the mechanised forces, destroy the enemy targets and move out before retaliatory fire occurs. A total of 01 Nos. MGS has been realised through Indian Industries and has undergone proof testing and field trials. Technologies, design, process, and QAP have been finalised, and DcPP has been nominated for the Mounted Gun System. (ANI)