The Indian army said it pounded Pakistani posts, crippling their ability to help militants cross the Line of Control. The punitive fire assault, as the army called it, has been carried out by six main weapons.
106 mm Recoilless Gun
Used chiefly against armoured targets such as tanks, the weapon can be fired from the ground or mounted on a light vehicle. It can fire one round per minute indefinitely but not more than five rounds at maximum loading speed. It has a range of more than 3km. The first recoilless gun was developed by Commander Cleland Davis of the US Navy, just prior to World War I.
130 mm Artillery Guns
Army sources said fire assaults imply use of such artillery guns in direct-firing mode. The army had used the Bofors guns to destroy several Pakistani army posts last October following the mutilation of Sepoy Mandeep Singh in Macchil sector in Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Anti-aircraft Guns
The Zu-23-2B anti-aircraft guns are capable of engaging aerial and ground targets alike. The Soviet-era weapon, developed in the late 1950s, is being converted into an automatic system. It has a range of 2.5 km. The plan is to upgrade 468 guns at a cost of Rs 670 crore.
Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs)
Infantry units along the LoC are equipped with Milan and Konkur ATGMs. The missiles have been built by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) under license from French and Russian firms. The army plans to buy new ATGM systems from Israel at a cost Rs 3,200 crore. The Israeli Spike ATGM can destroy armoured vehicles and bunkers from 2.5 km away.
Rocket Launchers
The army has also extensively used 84 mm Carl-Gustav rocket launchers to target Pakistani posts. It is of Swedish origin and can destroy targets at a distance of over 1 km.
Automatic Grenade Launcher
The army has also used Russian-origin AGS-30 grenade launchers against Pakistani positions. The grenades can hit at targets more than 2km away.
Post Your Comments