-What are the main advantages of a towed gun system over a wheeled/tracked gun system in plains and particularly in modern fpv & loitering munition environment ?
-Which gun from IA inventory will ATAGS replace ?
- How long will Sharang be in service ?
- Is ATAGS our pion (because of its range) ?
- Is tyulpan more devastating than pion ?
- Does DRDO needs to work on a penicillin like system OR will it not fit in our ind-pak or indo-china scenario ?
1. Towed systems are much cheaper to acquire and maintain.
Lighter footprint making it easier to deploy via air or trucks, especially in large flat terrains (like Punjab/Rajasthan plains).
Survivability (if dispersed): In a loitering munition environment, towed guns can be spread out and camouflaged better than large tracked platforms.
The downsides are slow deployment/mobility which isn't ideal if under drone or artillery threat.
Longer setup times: Makes them more vulnerable unless well-networked and camouflaged.
2. Which Gun Will ATAGS Replace in the Indian Army?
FH77B (Bofors 155mm/39 cal) and other legacy 105mm/130mm systems over time, especially with the push toward 155mm standardization.
3. How Long Will Sharang Be in Service?
Sharang is more like a stop-gap modernization. Likely to stay operational till late 2030s, possibly longer in reserve/secondary roles depending on how fast ATAGS and other 155mm platforms are inducted.
4. Is ATAGS Our “Pion”? (Because of Range)
Not exactly since Pion (2S7) is a 203mm heavy artillery system with strategic-level impact.
ATAGS is a 155mm gun which is more tactically flexible, but doesn’t match Pion’s shell weight or destructive power but ATAGS does have exceptional range (up to 48 km), so in Indian context, it's our longest-ranged field gun, not a true “Pion” equivalent.
5. Is Tyulpan More Devastating Than Pion?
Yes, in terms of destructive effect in close combat. Tyulpan (2S4) is a 240mm self-propelled mortar, capable of firing heavy HE, thermobaric, and even nuclear shells at short ranges. More devastating in urban or fortified area combat like bunkers, tunnels etc whereas Pion with longer range and larger shells, is better for counter-battery and deep strike.
6. Should DRDO Build a “Penicillin”-like System?
Highly useful in Indo-paki front for border counter-battery, where radars are jammed or targeted but challenging on the Indo-chinki front due to terrain masking and limited line of sight but still useful if integrated with UAVs/sensors.
Yes, India should develop a Penicillin-like system, especially to survive in GPS-denied/drone-heavy environments as radar and SIGINT are increasingly vulnerable to jamming.
