Kolkata: An upgraded version of the 155mm Bofors gun, the Indian Army`s most potent artillery weapon, will be ready for field trials in January 2013, a top official of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) said on Tuesday.
"We are working on this upgraded version. This has been tried out in PXE (Proof and Experimental Establishment), Balasore," OFB chairperson Sashi Dhar Dimri said on the sidelines of its 210th anniversary here.
OFB is upgrading the gun from its original 39-calibre to 45-calibre with mechanical and electronic suites.
Extensive firing has been carried out at PXE Balasore as part of the upgrade process.
"We are confident that in the beginning of 2013, our GCF (Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur) will be in a position to field the gun for trials," Dimri said.
While one gun has been upgraded with the electronic suite incorporating ballistic computers, servo valves and communication systems to provide automation, the second gun has been upgraded by fitting a new 45 calibre barrel, enabling it to achieve a range of 40 km.
IANS
