The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System is one of the Indian Army's deadliest guns with the longest firing range.
Leading a formidable 20 ton gun system before the whole nation was doubly special for Captain Natarajan Siva.
A few years ago as a National Cadet Corps trooper, he had to drop out at the last minute when his group of cadets were to leave Bengaluru to participate in the Republic Day parade in Delhi.
The unfinished, unfulfilled, desire finally came through this year when the Ajmer native proudly commanded the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System, one of the deadliest guns in the Indian Army's arsenal. The ATAGS has been named Amogh.
'Amogh' means reliable and infallible.
"The parade is a statement to anyone who is watching about India's advanced equipment -- the valour of the regiments, surveillance capability of the drones, the power of missiles and tanks," says Captain Siva who decided to join the armed forces when he was in Class 12 and honed his skills as an NCC cadet during his college years in Bengaluru.
"The guns display the fire power of the Indian Army. The Regiment of Artillery is the God of War," explains the officer who had spent nearly two months in New Delhi preparing his gun and his crew.
The men woke up early every cold winter morning in the national capital, skilling up and maintaining the colossal gun every day for the grand parade.
Amogh represents the Make in India doctrine
The gun is undergoing trials for induction into the Indian Army. Nearly 95% of the gun is made in India by DRDO and other Indian companies.
"This gun truly represents Make in India," Captain Siva says with pride. "For a towed artillery system, this gun has achieved the highest range in the world."
Amogh needs a crew of 7 to 8 to fire the gun. During the parade, the gun was mounted on a towed platform and pulled by a truck that weighed half as much as the gun!
The speed of the truck was 4 km per hour. "The driver has to be very experienced because the weight of the massive gun pushes the vehicle," explains Captain Siva.
"It is a one of its kind of artillery systems that has performed extremely well," says Captain Siva who was commissioned into the army in 2023 and is a first generation officer.
The officer and crew wore combat gear, goggles, bullet-proof jackets and carried a rifle -- as they would during war.
First in family to join the armed force
His father works in the government; his mother is a teacher. His parents travelled from Ajmer to Delhi to watch him in the parade.
"My parents are very excited. Everything about the army is new for them," said the proud officer. "This is a moment of pride not just for me, but for my regiment as well."
Key Points
- The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System is an indigenous gun system.
- Made by DRDO, the towed artillery system has achieved the highest range in the world.
- Called 'Amogh', which mean infallible, it was part of the mechanised column during the Republic Day parade.
Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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