PUNE: India’s first fully integrated Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) will be ready for crucial user (army) trials by early September this year, a senior official of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) told TOI on Wednesday.

“A team of scientists from Pune-based Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and army officers from the Corps of Artillery conducted a key user assistant technical trial (UATT) of the gun between May 20 and June 5 at the firing range of Pokhran in Rajasthan. The gun has achieved all desired results during the trial, which is why we are confident of giving the gun for the army’s trials,” the official added. The gun has achieved critical technical objectives such as accuracy, range, day, night firing and mobility. “We have fired all types of ammunitions. The gun has hit a target at 45km distance. We have tested other technical parameters too,” said another senior official involved in the project.

The army and DRDO have already completed desert and high-altitude trials in Rajasthan and Sikkim in the last two years. “The gun has produced excellent results. Our endeavour is to induct the gun in the force by 2020,” added the official.

The ATAGS is the first indigenous 155mm/52-calibre towed gun. It is one of the guns in the world having six-round ‘automated magazine’ that fires in 30 seconds. The gun has all-electric drive, an advantage over traditional hydraulic drives, which are common in other towed guns. The electric drives of the ATAGS provides controls in handling ammunition, opening and closing breech mechanism and ramming the round into firing chamber,” said a scientist involved in the project.

The existing 155/mm and 52 calibre guns have three-round magazines, which need to be reloaded manually.

During this exercise maximum burst takes place, which have often resulted in casualties, said defence sources

