By Gurmeet Kanwal
The army’s victory against daunting odds during the Kargil conflict was
underpinned by the overwhelming superiority of the firepower unleashed by the
guns, mortars and rocket launchers of the Regiment of Artillery. Over a period
of one and a half months, the sustained application of concentrated artillery
firepower had systematically destroyed the enemy’s defences and, ultimately, it
broke the Pakistanis, will to fight.
This was not the first time that the Gunners had met a challenge head on. Ever
since the concept of causing destruction to the enemy’s war machine from a stand
off distance evolved in warfare, artillery has been a battle-winning arm. In all
the wars fought by the Indian Army since independence, the Gunners discharged
their onerous responsibilities with extraordinary efficiency and supreme
dedication. Besides Kargil, the battlefields of Chushul (1962), Chamb and
Amritsar (1965), Longewala and Sylhet (1971), among many others, stand in mute
testimony to the fury, zeal and the unflinching devotion to duty of the Gunners.
The tactical function of artillery is to achieve such fire supremacy on the
battlefield that the enemy can neither interfere with our operations, nor
develop his own effectively. The artillery performs this function by destroying
or suppressing the enemy’s weapons systems, by causing casualties to his troops
and equipment and by harassing the enemy continuously over a period of time,
allowing him no rest. Concentrated artillery firepower severely degrades the
enemy’s ability to prepare for battle and cripples his ability to fight
coherently. The ultimate aim of all artillery fire is to break the enemy’s will
to fight and make him capitulate on our terms.
Artillery fire is directed by observation post officers from their observation
posts (OPs) that are sited in the forward defended localities with the infantry
companies. These OP officers accompany their infantry comrades during an assault
on enemy positions as forward observation officers (FOOs) and fight
shoulder-to-shoulder with them. These young OP officers are the eyes and ears of
the artillery. In order to engage targets deep inside enemy territory, air borne
OPs fly in Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. Artillery guns, mortars and rocket
launchers are deployed in camouflaged gun positions. They communicate with their
OP officers and with the other fighting arms on radio and field telephone.
Field artillery consists mainly of field, mountain and medium guns, mortars and
multi-barrel rocket launchers (MBRLs). In pre-independence days, the 3.7 inch
Howitzer, made famous by Rudyard Kipling as the "Screw Gun", was the main
equipment of Indian artillery. The 5.5 inch medium gun and the 7.2 inch Howitzer
complemented it. The 25 Pounder gun was introduced into service just before the
Second World War and was the mainstay of the Regiment of Artillery till the
early-1990s. It could fire a variety of ammunition, including anti-tank, smoke
and illuminating ammunition besides HE shells, up to a maximum range of 12,200
metres. Today, the premier field gun of the artillery is the indigenously
manufactured 105 mm Indian Field Gun (IFG) and its lighter version the 105 mm
Light Field Gun (LFG). These guns have a maximum range of over 17 km.
The 155 mm FH 77B Bofors medium gun, that created such an impact at Kargil, can
fire a high explosive shell to a range of about 30 km. The 155 mm calibre is
likely to be the standard gun calibre of the future. The 130 mm medium gun, that
entered service just before the 1971 war with Pakistan, is a close second. This
reliable Russian gun has proved its mettle in all types of terrain and climatic
conditions, including at Siachen Glacier and the Bomdila-Towang sector in
Arunachal Pradesh. The Grad BM-21 Russian MBRL is an immensely potent weapon
that can cover a large area of ground with its inherent dispersion of fire. A
battery of BM-21 MBRLs can fire a salvo of 240 rockets on an unsuspecting enemy
locality in just 20 seconds and reduce it to rubble.
Besides these, a number of other weapons are also in service. These include the
mule-portable 120 mm high-trajectory mortars with light regiments and the 160 mm
heavy mortars that pack a solid punch. Field artillery regiments normally have
18 guns and are organised into three batteries of six guns each. The Regiment of
Artillery also mans the Surface-to-Surface Missiles (SSMs) of the Indian Army.
Missile groups of the Regiment are equipped with the Prithvi missile and, in due
course, are likely to man other SSMs that may be entrusted to the army.
Before enemy guns and mortars can be effectively destroyed or neutralised, their
exact location has to be accurately determined. This task devolves upon the
Surveillance and Target Acquisition (SATA) branch. SATA units are equipped with
Stentor long-range Battlefield Surveillance Radare (BFSRs) and cymbeline Mortar
Locating Radars. Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs), also called unarmed vehicles
(UAVs) have also been introduced into service recently but not yet in large
numbers. UAVs are excellent reconnaissance vehicles for specific search of areas
where enemy presence is suspected.
From a supporting arm with the limited role of neutralising large area of the
ground with its inherent dispersion of fire the Indian artillery has graduated
to an arm of decision on the modern battlefield. This was amply borne out by its
performance during Operation Vijay in the Kargil district of J&K in 1999. Its
role is now that of the purveyor of destruction in defensive as well as
offensive operations.
In future too, the Indian artillery will play a leading role in the successful
execution of integrated land-air opearations on the nation's battlefields. The
emerging philosophy of employment of artillery firepower visualises the
synergised orchestration of all firepower resources across the entire
battlefield to cause firepower resources across the entire battlefield to cause
destruction, systematically degrade the enemy's fighting denying them the
ability to operate effectively. The concentrated application of massed artillery
fire and the use of precision-guided munitions will disrupt the enemy's cohesion
and ultimately break his will to fight.
It can be truly said that the artillery is now a co-equal partner with the
infantry and the armoured corps in the successful execution of firepower and
manoeuvre. In this era of strategic uncertainty, it would be prudent to invest
further in building up artillery capabilities. As it continues to modernise and
qualitatively upgrade its capability, the artillery’s contribution to success in
future battles will be considerably enhanced in the decades ahead.