The Indian Army is set to enhance its firepower with the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), which will soon achieve an extended range exceeding 80 km. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing indigenous ammunition to improve precision and extend the gun’s range. Currently, ATAGS can strike targets up to 48 km away. The Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) wing of the DRDO is working on a variety of munitions. These include smart ammunition designed for stability, precision, and extended range. Current developments include bourrelet ammunition, with precision-guided munitions featuring advanced guidance systems, primarily utilising NavIC satellite guidance and ramjet-powered shells, expected to follow. “Currently, we are developing the bourrelet series. User trials will be completed in the next one to one-and-a-half years. We are also developing guided shells, including GPS- and laser-guided variants. These shells will be available within four to five years and will enhance range and accuracy. Additionally, we are working on a ramjet-class shell with guidance, which will provide a range of over 80 kilometers and will be among the most advanced shells in the world,” said RP Pandey, Project Director for the ATAGS project at ARDE. While the bourrelet series will slightly improve the precision and performance of ATAGS ammunition, subsequent developments are focused on making the platform more accurate and lethal with an extended range. A prototype of GPS-guided ammunition, primarily utilising NavIC satellite guidance with a GPS backup option, is expected by 2027. The ramjet-propelled shells are designed primarily to extend range. They will be compatible with ATAGS as well as other 155 mm artillery systems, such as the Haubits FH77, Dhanush, and K9 Vajra-T. These shells will include a Precision Guidance Kit for trajectory correction and feature their own propulsion to boost speed and range after firing. “The ramjet-class shell is expected to be ready in the next five years. Very few countries are working on this category of artillery, but rest assured, when it arrives, it will be a game-changer,” RP Pandey added. In March, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed contracts for the procurement of 307 ATAGS 155mm/52 calibre guns and 327 high-mobility 6×6 gun-towing vehicles at a cost of approximately ₹6,900 crore. The ATAGS and towing vehicles will be procured from Bharat Forge Limited and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, respectively. The first regiment of ATAGS, comprising 18 guns, is expected to be delivered by March 2027. ATAGS is designed to fire a variety of 155mm ammunition types to achieve its long-range, precision, and lethality objectives.