Northeast Frontier Railway introduces QR code tickets for cashless convenience at all major stations – India TV

In a major development, Pune-based Bharat Forge Limited has emerged as the lowest bidder in the Indian Army’s contract for the purchase of 307 DRDO-developed ATAGS howitzers. With the contract worth over Rs 6,000 crore, Bharat Forge will make 60 percent of the 307 weapons, while L2 or the next lowest bidder Tata Advanced Systems Limited will make the remaining 40 percent of them.

Defense sources told the media that the commercial bids of both the firms were opened recently with Bharat Forge emerging as the lowest bidder and would get the largest share of the order. The order would be a major success for the indigenous land-based weapon systems developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization.

This would also be the first sale of the weapons in the country as the howitzers have already been exported to friendly foreign countries such as Armenia.

Equipment manufacturers are now also looking at exporting to other friendly countries, with a focus on the African market. The order for 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) for deployment along the borders with China and Pakistan is expected to be placed in the current financial year.

The indigenous 155 mm, 52 caliber howitzer was developed by DRDO with two private partners Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and Bharat Forge Ltd. The Ministry of Defense received a proposal from the Indian Army to purchase 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS) for deployment along the borders with China and Pakistan.

The trials of the ATAGS were completed between April 26 and May 2, 2023 at the Pokhran Field Firing Range (PFFR). The ATAGS is an indigenous towed artillery gun system project being implemented in mission mode by the DRDO as part of the artillery modernization programme. of the Indian Army.

Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) Pune is the nodal laboratory of the DRDO for the design and development of ATAGS, along with other DRDO laboratories.