Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited)
Dhanush
India's first indigenously developed towed 155 mm howitzer, derived from the Bofors FH-77B design with an extended barrel and inertial navigation-based fire control. It has been progressively inducted into the Indian Army's artillery regiments.
In service since 2018 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
38
km range
155
mm gun
12,900
kg
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to India export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2018. Status: active · ~114 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 38 km Bottom 1% of artillery systems
- Rate of fire
Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.
- 3 rpm Stronger than 15% of artillery systems
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 155 mm/45 caliber howitzer
- Caliber
Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters.
- 155 mm
- Max firing range
Maximum range of the main gun or rocket artillery (with assisted/extended-range munitions where noted). Higher extends reach.
- 38 km Stronger than 37% of artillery systems
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 12,900 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 8
Munition
Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.
- Caliber
Bore diameter the round is fired from.
- 155 mm
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 114 Stronger than 15% of artillery systems
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 17% of artillery systems
Specifications compiled from public Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush? +
The Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush has a maximum range of 38 km.
How much does the Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush weigh? +
The Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush has a combat weight of 12,900 kg.
How many crew does the Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush require? +
The Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush requires a crew of 8.
What is the main armament of the Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush? +
The Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush's primary weapon is the 155 mm/45 caliber howitzer.
What is the Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush used for? +
The Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush is a artillery & mlrs typically used for deep strike.
How many countries operate the Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush? +
The Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush cost? +
Ordnance Factory Board (Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited) Dhanush: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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