Citing “quality issues”, the Indian Army has refused to receive the Sharang artillery guns, as per the media report. The force has raised quality concerns in metals and components used by manufacturing defence PSU, Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL). The Army has already received 159 guns so far, and now has halted the procurement of the remaining 141 guns, according to a media report.
In 2018, a project worth nearly Rs 200 crore was initiated to upgrade the 300 Soviet-era 130mm M-46 artillery guns to the 155mm, with a 45 calibre standard, and to enhance their range to 39 km from 27 km.
The major issue has also been reported with the muzzle brakes, the media report added. The muzzle brakes help reduce recoil and improve firing accuracy. These faulty parts not only affected the guns’ performance but also posed safety risks to soldiers.
The first batch of 18 upgraded artillery Sharang guns was given to the Indian Army in 2020. Since then, the units have reported repeated problems with the guns’ mechanical and electronic systems. Despite numerous complaints, these issues have not been properly fixed, the media report added. As a result, the Indian Army halted the procurement of the remaining upgraded batch.
The halt, though, is temporary, till the time the identified issues are resolved, the media report added.
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