Spurred by Turkish Drone Neutralization Success, Indian Army to Replace L-70 and Zu-23mm Guns with 1,000 Next-Gen Air Defence Guns

The Indian Army is set to initiate a significant overhaul of its air defence artillery by planning the acquisition of over 1,000 advanced, new-generation air defence guns.

This major procurement drive aims to replace the military's ageing yet recently successful L-70 and Zu-23mm gun systems, marking a substantial step in modernizing India's capability to counter emerging aerial threats.

The move follows the notable success of digitally upgraded L-70 anti-aircraft guns in neutralizing Turkish-made drones that were operated by Pakistan.

These guns, which first entered service over fifty years ago, have been revitalized with modern systems including new radars and electro-optical sensors.

These enhancements provide an auto-tracking capability that has proven highly effective against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other low-flying threats, demonstrating the continued viability of gun systems in modern warfare.

Despite the commendable performance of the retrofitted L-70s, a large portion of the Army's air defence inventory consists of non-modernized units. This has created a critical need to transition to more advanced platforms to maintain a technological advantage over potential adversaries.

The planned replacement will ensure a uniform and state-of-the-art defence shield against sophisticated aerial attacks.

The Corps of Army Air Defence currently employs a varied array of equipment, including the Schilka self-propelled anti-aircraft system, the Tunguska gun-missile system, and the Osa-AK surface-to-air missile system.

However, the L-70 and the Soviet-era Zu-23mm twin-barrelled guns form the core of the short-range air defence and are now slated for a phased replacement.

The new systems are expected to feature superior fire control systems, advanced sensors, and a higher degree of automation to effectively engage modern threats like drones, cruise missiles, and low-flying aircraft.

In a significant boost to domestic industry, the procurement will be pursued under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-Reliant India) policy.

Official sources have confirmed that the Army is not considering foreign-made guns for this requirement, placing a strong emphasis on indigenous design, development, and manufacturing.

This strategy aims to foster innovation within India's defence ecosystem and reduce reliance on imported military hardware.

The procurement process is already in motion, with a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued for an initial lot of 220 guns.

Trials for the competing systems are anticipated to begin shortly. The successful conclusion of these trials will trigger the procurement of the first batch, which is planned to exceed 1,000 units.

This large-scale acquisition highlights the Indian Army's commitment to strengthening its air defence infrastructure to secure the nation's borders against an evolving threat landscape.

 

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[DefStock]

RFI was issued in 2021. The testing should commence in July this year, but this should be last priority; top priority must be SU-57 and AMCA engine.

 

[Radha Ramanan]

The Swiss Oerlikon 35mm gun, as depicted above and now owned by Rheinmetall of Germany, is considered among the best in the world when taking into consideration its range, accuracy, firepower, and lethality. It was the first air defence gun in the world to fire programmable air-bursting AHEAD ammunition that consists of hundreds of tungsten pellets in the path of incoming fighters, cruise missiles, and UAVs. There is no escaping this.

Many navies in the world have adopted it as a CIWS against anti-ship missiles as well. The L70 40mm gun used by India in a war recently also has programmable bursting ammunition that increases the hit probability many times over. Before this, a shell would only burst and take down a fighter if it directly hit it. That, combined with radar, EO, and laser, made it deadly accurate. But the 35mm gun system is still better. China promptly copied the system as well, getting samples of the gun from Pakistan.

Pakistan very cleverly acquired a lot of 35mm air defence guns, and some were converted to fire the AHEAD rounds as well. They surpassed us in low-level air defence artillery. These guns were aided by the excellent SAAB Giraffe 70 low-level radar, which provided target information of low-flying attack aircraft to these guns, which had their own radar to lock on and shoot. Pakistan got those guns decades back.

This gun system is very expensive today, and the AHEAD ammo is also expensive. Pakistan seems to have managed to get collaboration to make the 35mm ammo as well. Though expensive, far less ammo is needed to hit a target. It is especially very effective against all kinds of drones and UAVs.

 

[Mr Nobody]

Go for the German Skyshield system and make them in India with TOT. It's one of the best counter-drone systems available right now.

 

[Balaji Krishna]

Cost per hit should be considerably lower than the price of low end drones. Pakistan flew many cheap camera drone along with military drone to swarm our systems. Little did they expect the response. Such low end drones would cost around USD 2000 each

 

[Sandeep]

India was developing the Sudarshan CIWS air defence gun but it’s unclear what the progress is on that. This is something that can easily be developed 100% indigenously. One cost effective option would be to use the 30mm 630 naval CIWS that we use in our navy which we already manufacture 100% indigenously. This could be set up on our vehicles which would make it a reliable gun to intercept missiles, drones or artillery rounds.

 

[Hari Sud]

These guns have very successfully done their job, hence what is the rush to replace them. These were recently upgraded with new everything except the barrel and firing mechanism. Hence retain them. Spend your energies on something else.