Why in news?

In a first, an indigenous artillery gun, the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), will be used along with the usual 25-Pounders for the 21-gun salute during the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort this year.

Highlights:

• Since Independence, the ceremonial 21-gun salute is accorded by seven vintage Quick Fire 25 Pounder guns which fire blank rounds as the National Anthem is played after the hoisting of the National Flag by the Prime Minister.
• This year, in addition to the 25-Pounders, as they are popularly known, one ATAGS will be used

Significance:

• The initiative to use this indigenously developed gun will stand as a testament to India’s growing capacity of developing arms and ammunition indigenously.
• The gun has been specifically customised both in terms of blank firing and sound attributes so that it will be useful for ceremonial purposes.

About ATAGS:

• The ATAGS is a 155 mm, 52 calibre heavy artillery gun jointly developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), the Pune-based laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in partnership with Bharat Forge and Tata Group.

• In May, the gun successfully completed validation trails towards meeting the specifications of the Army and is now ready for induction.