Regiment of Artillery celebrate their 197th ‘Gunners Day’ on September 28 and thus this issue is dedicated to the Artillery Corps of Indian Army.

The ongoing Ukraine war is providing great learning for the armies on what to expect from the enemy in the future and how to counter it. This war has also proved beyond doubt the lethality and prowess of Artillery in modern wars. Learning from the same, Indian Army has also put its Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP) on the fast track and pushing ahead with its modernisation.

The lead article in this issue by Major General Atanu Pattanaik (Retd) gives an overview on the ongoing modernisation of the Artillery with procurements both from the private and public sector. It started with the induction of the M777 Ultra Lightweight Howitzers for mountainous duty. Subsequently, orders have been placed for Dhanush, ATAGS, K9 Vajra, Sharang and now the Indian Army is looking for a TGS which weighs less than 15 tonnes.

In his article, Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd), recounts the lessons learnt from the multi-domain in Ukraine war including the use of Drones, Artificial Intelligence, Multiple Rocket Systems, Precision Ammunition, Missiles, Space and Cyber Combat, and the likes, as a part of the overall Artillery utilisation and the multiple challenges that the Indian Army and the Artillery will likely face in the next war with China. Drawing upon these lessons, the requirement is to review the changes required from doctrinal, organisational to the tactics, training and equipping, given the primacy of firepower as witnessed in Ukraine. Artillery is a key element and must squarely respond to the challenges of technology enabled hybrid warfare.

In line with the Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP) and modernisation, Indian Army is planning to procure 400 pieces of Towed Gun Systems (TGS). Covering this planned procurement, Ranjit Kumar analyses the rationale behind and how it will fit into the overall modernisation of the artillery systems along with other planned inductions.

The growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region is evident from the fact that recently Army Chiefs, Vice-Chiefs and Delegates from nearly 30 countries met in New Delhi for the IPACC conference to promote ‘Peace and Stability’ in the Indo-Pacific region. A report by Neetu Dhulia on the event that brought together military minds from across the globe is included in this issue.

The ability to see at night can be a game-changer in battlefield and the side that possesses this capability will have a distinct advantage. In urban environment of counter-insurgency and counterterrorist operations its importance for security forces cannot be under estimated. Continuous developments in technology have made it possible to develop military night vision devices (NVD) like cameras, goggles, binoculars and rifle scopes, which enable soldiers to see in the dark as well as under inclement weather conditions. Rohit Goel gives an overview on the various types of NVD and their leading manufacturers from across the globe.

All this and with a lot more.

Happy Reading!