Delay in Dhanush procurement leaves Army short of modern guns

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has rapped the ministry of defence over delays in the procurement of the Dhanush artillery gun. The committee’s report, tabled in Parliament, highlights a two-decade gap between the Army’s urgent requirement for modern artillery and the eventual induction of upgraded systems, leaving formations reliant on ageing Bofors guns that were inducted in the 1980s and are now showing their age.The Army inducted the 155mm Bofors guns in 1986 under a transfer of technology agreement with Sweden’s AB Bofors. But the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) was banned in 1989, as a result of the now infamous Bofors Scandal. The PAC notes that this indecision created a capability vacuum, compelling the Army to operate with obsolete systems well into the 21st century. In 2013, the Ordnance Factory Board was tasked with producing electronically upgraded prototypes of the Bofors gun.