Bharat-52

[1] [2] The Bharat-52 gun is a 155mm, 52 caliber towed howitzer manufactured by Bharat Forge, a subsidiary of Kalyani Group. Bharat-52 is a long-range gun system that has been completely designed and developed in India. It is designed to operate in all weather conditions and has super maneuverability on all terrains.[1]

Bharat-52
Bharat-52 at a exhibition
Place of originIndia
Production history
ManufacturerBharat Forge, Kalyani Group
Specifications
Mass15000kg
Length10.258m
Width2.880m
Height2.656m
Caliber155 mm (6.1 in)
Carriagesplit trail
Elevation-3° to +72° with the speed of 5°/second
Rate of fire
  • Burst rate of fire : 3 rounds in 30 sec.
  • Intense rate of fire : 12 rounds in 3 min.
  • Sustained rate of fire : 42 rounds in 1 hr.
Effective firing range48km

Bharat-52 is being considered by the Indian Army to fulfill its requirements for towed howitzers. Kalyani group has also made a strong pitch for supplying heavy weapons to the Saudi Arabian military.[3]

Two gun systems, both developed by Kalyani Group, will be sent to Saudi Arabia for trial evaluation by the Royal Saudi Army. The guns include the Bharat 52 and the Garuda V2, a 105 mm gun mounted on a light vehicle chassis for added mobility.[3] [4]

Development

The Bharat-52 is a derivative of the GC-45 towed howitzer designed by Canadian artillery expert Gerald Bull's Space Research Corporation, who had earlier worked on Project HARP and later Project Babylon for Saddam Hussein.

After SRC moved to Europe Noricum, the arms division of the Austrian steel company Voest-Alpine bought the rights to the GC-45. They made a number of detail changes to improve mass production, resulting in the GHN-45 (Gun, Howitzer, Noricum). The GHN-45 was sold to the Royal Thai Navy and China (as the PLL-01), among others.

Kalyani Group recently purchased Noricum, bringing its entire manufacturing line to India. With the purchase, Kalyani obtained intellectual property rights of the GHN-45 and developed its indigenous derivative, the Bharat-45.

The Bharat-45 45 caliber howitzer was later further developed into a 52 caliber version, the Bharat-52.

References
  1. "Next-Gen Weapons". Full Afterburner. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  2. "Bharat Forge artillery gun in final trials before sale to Indian Army". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  3. "Saudi to evaluate Kalyani groups artillery guns Bharat 52, Garuda V2". Business Standard.
  4. "Bharat Forge artillery gun in final trials before sale to Indian Army". www.defencenews.in.
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