Indian Army Plans to Conclude Extensive Trials of New 155mm Mounted Gun System by 2026, Ensuring Diverse Terrain Readiness

The Indian Army is steadily progressing towards inducting a new 155mm Mounted Gun System (MGS), designed to enhance its artillery capabilities in modern warfare.

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi announced that over 300 trials of this innovative system have already been conducted, with plans to conclude the extensive testing phase by early 2026.

The MGS, adapted from the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE)’s Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), is mounted on an 8×8 high mobility vehicle for superior battlefield maneuverability.

This self-propelled howitzer is specifically designed to meet the dynamic needs of modern combat, emphasizing the "shoot and scoot" tactic – engaging targets and rapidly relocating to avoid counter-battery fire.

General Dwivedi expressed confidence in the MGS, stating that trials conducted so far have yielded promising results. However, he emphasized the Army's commitment to rigorous testing in diverse operational scenarios to ensure combat readiness.

The MGS is being meticulously evaluated for its effectiveness in both desert and high-altitude environments, reflecting the varied terrain challenges faced by the Indian Army.

The system boasts a maximum firing range of 45 kilometers with exceptional accuracy, providing a significant tactical advantage. This long reach, combined with precision strike capabilities, allows the Indian Army to engage targets deep within enemy territory while minimizing risks to its own forces.

Crucially, the MGS is designed for rapid deployment, aligning with the mobility of mechanized forces. This ensures that artillery support can keep pace with fast-moving combat units, providing timely and accurate fire support.

The upcoming trials will focus on validating the MGS's performance under diverse environmental conditions, including extreme cold, heat, and high altitudes prevalent in India's strategic operational areas.

These tests will also refine the system's logistics, maintenance procedures, and integration with other military systems, ensuring seamless operation within the broader military framework.

By conducting these comprehensive trials, the Indian Army is taking a crucial step towards fielding a highly mobile and potent artillery system capable of meeting the challenges of modern warfare across diverse terrains.

 

[sanket]

300 trials and will continue through the year to conclude by early 2026. Enough with the trials! Trials after trials, unless they are on the Moon or Jupiter, promising results are not seen on this planet.

 

[Rajesh]

Trials are necessary but it is required to be closed in a year or two.
we do not know the procedure of the trials.

 

[Baiju Bhaskaran]

Why planning only for trials and not for procurement.

 

[Satya Dev]

155mmx52cal MGS - PLAGF has 630 units of PCL-181, Pakis have 164 units of SH-15 & even B'desh has 56 units of Nora B-52.

 

[ASHOK CARROL]

Over 2500 guns of this make need to be inducted within next 5 years with Two or three production lines in public private partnerships and the outdated towed guns nos reduced to less than 600.

 

[Akshat]

Why planning only for trials and not for procurement.

Trials are a part of the procurement process itself, ain't they?

 

[Anonymus]

Trials are a part of the procurement process itself, ain't they?

Bro 300 trials already conducted and still more trials till 2026 what they want to test which has been tested in 300 trials only God knows.

 

[Akshat]

Bro 300 trials already conducted and still more trials till 2026 what they want to test which has been tested in 300 trials only God knows.

When they say 300 trials, that means 300 rounds have been fired. From an artillery point of view, that's almost nothing. The M777 barrel is rated for 2500 rounds. That is, it can fire 2500 rounds before the barrel has to be changed. Ukraine was firing some 10000 rounds per day in 2023, and Russia was firing even more, in the Ukrainian war. So 300 rounds is literally nothing. You won't even be able to check the lifespan of the barrel in that. You will probably end up firing at least 10000 rounds during the trial process. And remember, even Athos was tested for over 4 years.

 

[Akshay]

When already 300 trials are conducted of Mounted Gun Systems, how many more are needed? Aren't these enough for initial batch for Induction??
And then Army blames DRDO/HAL for delays and dwindling numbers....

 

[Akshay]

Trials are necessary but it is required to be closed in a year or two.
we do not know the procedure of the trials.

Considering the urgent requirements of Military., Close the trials within 6 months. Make it rigorous and finsh it once for all,

 

[Akshat]

Considering the urgent requirements of Military., Close the trials within 6 months. Make it rigorous and finsh it once for all,

Bro how will you test the longevity of the barrel all at once? Or, how will you check if it works in cold environments unless it's actually winter in Ladakh, for example? Remember, they tried to do this rush thing with Insas and the gun saw it's magazine explode in the cold climates. Another interesting thing is that the extended trials always haunt DPSU products or products where DRDO is involved. IAF and IA are conducting trials of things like drones, robotic mules, armored vehicles etc., where only private sector is involved, really fast. You think that's a coincidence? We do have official reports that DRDO keeps submitting fake reports of successful trials to MoD. So armed forces have to be thorough in their assessment, no?

 

[Anonymus]

When they say 300 trials, that means 300 rounds have been fired. From an artillery point of view, that's almost nothing. The M777 barrel is rated for 2500 rounds. That is, it can fire 2500 rounds before the barrel has to be changed. Ukraine was firing some 10000 rounds per day in 2023, and Russia was firing even more, in the Ukrainian war. So 300 rounds is literally nothing. You won't even be able to check the lifespan of the barrel in that. You will probably end up firing at least 10000 rounds during the trial process. And remember, even Athos was tested for over 4 years.

bro read the 1st line of the article and there no mentioning of rounds in entire article please don't make your own facts.
What are artillery gun trials ?
1. To assess the performance of artillery guns
2. To ensure that artillery guns meet the specifications of the army
3. To identify and fix any issues with the gun

trials include everything including round firing it doesn't mean 1 round is equal to 1 trial.

Maybe you are right on 300 rounds have been fired and article misinterpreted it to trial.
But for now i would go with the article saying 300 trials not with 300 rounds