From mountain guns to missiles and drones: How India's artillery evolved over nearly 200 years

In the wee hours of May 7, 2025, the stillness and silence of the night was broken by the big guns of the Indian artillery. Although the attacks on the terror nerve centres at Muridke and Bahawalpur stole the headlines, the Army had struck seven more targets across both the Line of Control and the international border.These targets were hit by precision fire from artillery guns and loitering munitions. The message was clear: there was no safe space on the other side of the border.The pinpoint dropping of munitions on these terror targets was the latest feat in a long and storied history of the artillery arm, which now has nearly 200 years of service under its belt.The importance of long-range firepower in a non-contact but kinetic conflict has grown in the last few years, as demonstrated first in Ukraine and then reiterated by Iran.