Shoot, strike, scoot: India's first indigenous mounted gun system ready for army trials
Developed by DRDO, the MGS is designed for quick deployment and high-speed mobility in diverse terrain, offering what officials describe as "shoot and scoot" capability to evade counterfire
- Jul 8, 2025,
- Updated Jul 8, 2025 12:19 PM IST
India has taken a major step forward in artillery mobility with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announcing that its fully indigenous Mounted Gun System (MGS) is ready for army user trials. Developed to deliver rapid firepower with high mobility across deserts, mountains, and border regions, the MGS is built on a high-mobility 8x8 platform and features the 155mm/52 calibre ATAGS armament.
The DRDO has confirmed that its Mounted Gun System (MGS) is ready for user trials with the Indian Army. Developed by DRDO’s Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE), the MGS is designed for quick deployment and high-speed mobility in diverse terrain, offering what officials describe as “shoot and scoot” capability to evade counterfire.
The system integrates the indigenous 155mm/52 calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) developed by the Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) onto an 8x8 high-mobility wheeled platform. According to DRDO, the MGS is capable of operating in deserts, high-altitude regions, and even difficult terrain like Siachen or the northeastern hills.
With a firing range of up to 45 km, the MGS can deliver six rounds per minute and be combat-ready in just 85 seconds. Its cabin is fully bulletproof and can accommodate a crew of seven. The gun system weighs approximately 30 tonnes, evenly split between the vehicle and the cannon. It can travel at 60 km/h in rough terrain and up to 90 km/h on roads.
Notably, 80% of the system is built with indigenous components, from the ammunition to the vehicle. “The advantage of MGS is that it can be rapidly deployed, matching the mobility of the mechanised forces, destroy enemy targets, and move out before retaliatory fire occurs,” DRDO officials said.
It is also rail- and air-transportable, including via C-17 aircraft, allowing swift repositioning. With precision targeting over a 50-square-metre area and ease of mobility, the MGS is being projected as a significant boost to India’s artillery strategy.
The system was completed within two and a half years, building on DRDO’s ATAGS platform, for which the defence ministry signed ₹6,900 crore worth of contracts in March with Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems for 307 units.
Only a handful of countries possess mounted gun systems. With this development, India joins a select group equipped to manufacture and deploy such systems. Lessons from recent conflicts, particularly in Ukraine, have reinforced the need for highly mobile, long-range artillery in modern combat — a requirement the MGS aims to meet.
India has taken a major step forward in artillery mobility with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) announcing that its fully indigenous Mounted Gun System (MGS) is ready for army user trials. Developed to deliver rapid firepower with high mobility across deserts, mountains, and border regions, the MGS is built on a high-mobility 8x8 platform and features the 155mm/52 calibre ATAGS armament.
The DRDO has confirmed that its Mounted Gun System (MGS) is ready for user trials with the Indian Army. Developed by DRDO’s Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (VRDE), the MGS is designed for quick deployment and high-speed mobility in diverse terrain, offering what officials describe as “shoot and scoot” capability to evade counterfire.
The system integrates the indigenous 155mm/52 calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) developed by the Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) onto an 8x8 high-mobility wheeled platform. According to DRDO, the MGS is capable of operating in deserts, high-altitude regions, and even difficult terrain like Siachen or the northeastern hills.
With a firing range of up to 45 km, the MGS can deliver six rounds per minute and be combat-ready in just 85 seconds. Its cabin is fully bulletproof and can accommodate a crew of seven. The gun system weighs approximately 30 tonnes, evenly split between the vehicle and the cannon. It can travel at 60 km/h in rough terrain and up to 90 km/h on roads.
Notably, 80% of the system is built with indigenous components, from the ammunition to the vehicle. “The advantage of MGS is that it can be rapidly deployed, matching the mobility of the mechanised forces, destroy enemy targets, and move out before retaliatory fire occurs,” DRDO officials said.
It is also rail- and air-transportable, including via C-17 aircraft, allowing swift repositioning. With precision targeting over a 50-square-metre area and ease of mobility, the MGS is being projected as a significant boost to India’s artillery strategy.
The system was completed within two and a half years, building on DRDO’s ATAGS platform, for which the defence ministry signed ₹6,900 crore worth of contracts in March with Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems for 307 units.
Only a handful of countries possess mounted gun systems. With this development, India joins a select group equipped to manufacture and deploy such systems. Lessons from recent conflicts, particularly in Ukraine, have reinforced the need for highly mobile, long-range artillery in modern combat — a requirement the MGS aims to meet.