Jaisalmer, May 27: The firing user trials for indigenous developed Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) began on Friday at Pokhran field firing range of Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district. Defence Research and Defence Organisation (DRDO) and senior army officers were present at the trials. The Indian Army has begun finalising the preliminary specifications qualitative requirements (PSQR) which should be completed by July, reported The Times of India. In the earlier trials which were conducted last year in December, the gun had fired 47.2 kms long distance. Dhanush Artillery Guns: Indian Army Gets First Batch of 'Desi Bofors', Here's All About It.

According to the report, on Friday, the gun had fired 48 rounds Saturday 12 rounds were fired. The gun has the world’s longest hitting capacity. The user trials will go on for four more days. The defence ministry has already approved the in-principle purchase of 150 of these guns at an approximate cost of 3,365 crores, however, till now, the DRDO has sanctioned funds for the production of 10 guns. Defence Acquisition Council Approves Procurement of Arms Worth Rs 46,000 Crores, Including 24 Multirole Helicopters From US.

Trials for ATAGS has begun:

The guns will be produced by the DRDO in two separate contracts – one with Tata Power and another with Kaveri Group (Bharat Forge). According to the report, the lowest bidder will get a larger order. ATAGS is a 155 mm/52 calibre gun with a firing range of 40 km. The gun currently weighs about 18 tonnes while the ideal weight for the army would be 14-15 tonnes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 27, 2019 06:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).