India's artillery modernises from mountain guns to drones and long-range missiles
On May 7, 2025, Indian artillery struck seven targets across the LoC and the international border with precision guns and loitering munitions, showcasing a two-century evolution toward stand-off weapons.
In the early hours of May 7, 2025, Indian artillery fired on seven locations across the Line of Control and the international border, complementing larger strikes on terror hubs in Muridke and Bahawalpur. The precision achieved with conventional guns and loitering munitions underscores a two-hundred-year journey that began with the 5 (Bombay) Mountain Battery in 1827. Today the Regiment of Artillery fields indigenous 105 mm guns, the Pinaka and Suryastra rocket systems, and missile families including BrahMos, Agni and Prithvi, while preparing to field the ATAGS and future LRCM, Shaurya and Pralay weapons.
Modernisation under the Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan seeks a uniform 155 mm calibre and greater integration of ISR, drones and low-Earth-orbit satellites to close the kill-chain loop. Analysts argue that such stand-off capabilities will provide India with a decisive deterrent and enable deep, precise strikes without relying on stealth aircraft. The evolution reflects lessons from conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, where long-range firepower proved decisive.
