A battlefield lesson becomes a programme
The Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan was drafted in 1999, in the aftermath of the Kargil war. Its impetus was not simply a desire to buy newer equipment: the success of 155 mm Bofors guns in the Indian Army’s inventory had reinforced the importance of modern artillery.
The plan set out to replace the weapons of 169 artillery regiments. It placed 155 mm systems at the centre of the effort and envisioned acquiring thousands of weapons through a combination of direct imports, licensed manufacture, and domestic development.
A broad transformation
The proposed arsenal was deliberately varied. It included towed guns, mounted systems carried by vehicles, self-propelled guns on wheels or tracks, and ultra-light howitzers. Each category represented a different way to equip artillery units, while the overall goal was to renew the army’s gun inventory on a large scale.
The Artillery Profile 2027, drafted in 2008, further developed the acquisition plan. New programmes such as Dhanush and ATAGS reflected the domestic-development side of the effort, while the M777 and K9 Vajra-T illustrate how foreign equipment and partnerships also became part of the modernization story.
The long road from need to delivery
A plan born from a clear military lesson has had to navigate tenders, testing, production, and delays. The Dhanush programme experienced a production pause caused by a shortage of a spare part, while the M777 purchase was postponed and restarted more than once before the order was completed.
The contrast between the original ambition and reported progress is stark: in 2023, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India said only 8% of the planned howitzers had been received, and the fate of much of the remaining procurement was unclear. The enduring lesson is that recognizing a military need is only the beginning; delivering the tools to meet it can take far longer.