The Ordnance Factory Board on Monday delivered the first six indigenously built Dhanush artillery guns of the 114-piece order to the Army, PTI reported. The handover was conducted at the Gun Carriage Factory in Jabalpur.

The indigenously built weapons are the result of collaboration between the Ordnance Factory Board, the Army, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Directorate General Quality Assurance, Bharat Electronics Limited and private firms, an unidentified official said.

Ordnance Factory Board spokesperson Saurabh Kumar described the weapon as a “Make in India” initiative success story. “Dhanush is the first indigenously built 155 mm x 45 calibre long-range artillery gun with strike range of 38 kilometres,” Kumar said.

Kumar said the latest technology allows three to six guns to be fired simultaneously at a single target. “The weight of the gun is under 13 tonnes, making it easy to mobilise in hilly terrain and remote areas,” Kumar said. “It is a versatile weapon that can operate in all climatic conditions. The gun is equipped with inertial navigation-based sighting system, auto-laying facility, on-board ballistic computation and an advanced day-night direct firing system.”

The chairperson said the Ordnance Factory Board is currently working on the next two versions of the weapon.

The guns will be deployed to security personnel along India’s borders with Pakistan and China, The Times of India reported.