Raising of Dhanush 3rd regiment begins
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army has begun raising the third Regiment of the indigenously manufactured Dhanush artillery guns.
As this newspaper reported in October 2024, going by the tardy delivery of the indigenously produced advanced Bofors gun, Dhanush, for the Indian Army, it will be difficult to meet the March 2026 dateline.
The first gun was inducted in April 2019, and till now, only two regiments have become operational. 'Going by the speed of delivery, it is unlikely that all the guns might be delivered in the remaining time,' sources at the top said.
Sources in the defence establishment said, 'We have completed the process of raising a second regiment of Dhanush gun systems and also receiving a few systems for the third unit.' The overall project involves inducting 114 guns in six regiments. Some delays are expected before all the guns are inducted.
The Dhanush is the country's first indigenously built artillery gun, manufactured by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), previously a part of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
The plan was to induct 114 guns with 80% indigenous content by 2026. Its indigenous content makes its maintenance easier in terms of spare parts' availability. One Regiment comprises 18 guns. The cost of each gun is about Rs 14 crore. Dhanush can travel through difficult terrains and target enemy targets day or night.
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