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The M-46 Catapult was a self-propelled gun developed in India by Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment of the
To withstand higher firing stresses and to cater for longer recoil the
Defence Research & Development Organisation
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, ...
.
Description
The turret-less vehicle has an open area in the centre for the gun and crew but retains the driver's position and includes a horizontal metal shield for overhead protection.
To withstand higher firing stresses and to cater for longer recoil the Vijayanta
The ''Vijayanta'' (en: "Victorious") was a main battle tank built in India based on a licensed design of the Vickers Mk.1. The Vijayanta was the first indigenous tank of the Indian Army.
The prototype was completed in 1963 and the tank entered ...
tank's hull has been elongated with seven bogie wheel stations on either side. The stability to the vehicle during firing is provided by unique hydraulic suspension locking system.
The self-propelled medium artillery gun can fire both HE and AP ammunition and has a maximum range of 27 km. The gun has a limited static traverse 12½% on either side and an elevation of +45% to -2%. The system can stow 30 rounds of separate loading ammunition. Retired in 16 March 2021.
Development
After the 1965 and 1971 wars between India and Pakistan, the Army was in search of mobile (self propelled) artillery gun systems, primarily for the strike formations on the western borders. The production of Catapult guns began in the late 1970s and they were inducted in 1981. The platform is based on the Russian 130 mm M-46 field gun mounted on the lengthened chassis of the ageing British/IndianVijayanta
The ''Vijayanta'' (en: "Victorious") was a main battle tank built in India based on a licensed design of the Vickers Mk.1. The Vijayanta was the first indigenous tank of the Indian Army.
The prototype was completed in 1963 and the tank entered ...
tank's hull. A total of 100 M-46 Catapult systems were built and are being replaced by an unspecified number and type of 155mm self-propelled howitzers and K-9 Vajra gun systems.
Operational history
The guns never saw combat, though they were deployed duringOperation Parakram
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Ma ...
in 2001 at Samba district
Samba district is a district in the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir formed in 2006. Before its formation, this area was part of Jammu district and Kathua district.
Geography
The district covers Samba town and adjoining tehsils: Ba ...
of Jammu and Kashmir — in the chicken neck area and Shakargarh
Shakargarh ( ur, ), the capital of Shakargarh Tehsil, is a city in the north-eastern part of Narowal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It borders Jammu, India to the north and Sialkot to the west Its literacy rate is more than 85% wh ...
bulge and during Operation Zafran after the Pulwama terror attack. It was retired from service in 2021 after 40 years of active service with the Indian Army.
See also
* 130 mm Catapult on the Arjun Mk 1 chassisReferences
Tracked self-propelled howitzers Self-propelled howitzers of India Artillery of India Military vehicles introduced in the 1980s {{India-mil-stub