'Desi Bofors' Dhanush artillery guns begin confirmatory trials

Dhanush artillery guns -- the indigenous Bofors guns--have gone for confirmatory trials that will last till early next year, as the army looks for new howitzers.

Defence sources said if the confirmatory tests of the indigenously-developed guns comes out as positive, it will pave the way for Bulk Production Clearance (BPC). Under the first phase, the army will place an order worth over Rs 1,200 crore for 114 such guns with the Ordnance Factories Board. "The confirmatory trials are going on after and if they prove to be successful, the guns will go in for bulk production for the Army," sources said.

The Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur, plans to supply 6 guns within 6 months, another 12 within the next one year before ramping up the production.

Dhanush will be the first artillery gun to be acquired by the army since the purchase of Bofors guns from Sweden in 1987. It is a modified version of the Bofors and underwent winter trial in 2013 and summer trials in 2014.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier this year said the tests for the 155/45mm calibre Dhanush gun was successful.

Sources said minor changes were done following the trials, following which the confirmation trials have begun.

OFB is a conglomerate of 39 ordnance factories with another two new projects being set up at Nalanda in Bihar and Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.