Indian Army rejects Sharang artillery guns; questions raised on manufacturing standards | Of 300 guns, 159 have been delivered but serious “mechanical, electrical, electronic, and metallurgical defects” halted procurement of remaining 141 guns

印度陆军拒绝接收"沙朗"火炮；制造标准遭质疑 | 300 门火炮中已交付 159 门，但严重的"机械、电气、电子及冶金缺陷"导致剩余 141 门采购中止

In a major setback to India’s artillery modernisation programme, the Indian Army has rejected further induction of Sharang artillery guns after identifying serious quality issues in metals and components used by manufacturing defence PSU, Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL).

印度陆军的火炮现代化计划遭遇重大挫折，由于发现国防公共部门企业"印度先进武器装备有限公司"(AWEIL)生产的"沙朗"火炮所用金属材料与部件存在严重质量问题，军方已拒绝继续列装该型火炮。

The decision comes at a time when Operation Sindoor remains active and regional security challenges persist.

这一决定正值"辛杜尔行动"持续推进且地区安全挑战持续存在的敏感时期。

Originally launched in 2018, the Sharang project involved upgrading 300 Soviet-era 130mm M-46 artillery guns to the 155mm/45 calibre standard. The contract, awarded to the now-defunct Ordnance Factory Board, which has been replaced by AWEIL, was valued at approximately ₹200 crore. The goal was to enhance the range of guns from 27km to 39km and significantly boost the Army’s firepower.

"沙朗"项目于 2018 年启动，旨在将 300 门苏制 130 毫米 M-46 火炮升级至 155 毫米/45 倍径标准。该项目合同最初授予现已解散的军械工厂委员会（后由先进武器与装备印度有限公司接替），总价值约 20 亿卢比，目标是将火炮射程从 27 公里提升至 39 公里，显著增强陆军火力。

So far, 159 artillery guns have been delivered, but Army sources told businessline that serious “mechanical, electrical, electronic, and metallurgical defects have been found”, prompting the senior officials to halt procurement of the remaining 141 guns.

截至目前虽已交付 159 门火炮，但陆军消息人士向《商业线报》透露，已发现严重的"机械、电气、电子及冶金缺陷"，促使高级官员暂停采购剩余 141 门火炮。

“The upgrade of 159 guns has been completed, but with multiple quality concerns,” a senior defence source said. “We have temporarily stalled further inductions until AWEIL rectifies all defects and provides assured quality standards for future deliveries.”

“159 门火炮的升级虽已完成，但仍存在多重质量问题，”一位高级国防消息人士表示。“我们已暂缓后续引进计划，待阿韦尔公司整改全部缺陷并确保未来交付达到质量标准后再行推进。”

AWEIL CMD Umesh Singh was not available for comments despite repeated calls and messages.

尽管多次致电及发送信息，阿韦尔公司 CMD 乌梅什·辛格始终未能取得联系置评。

A particularly alarming issue involves the muzzle brakes — crucial components that reduce recoil and improve firing accuracy. AWEIL had procured 200 muzzle brakes from a private vendor.

一个尤为严重的问题涉及炮口制退器——这种关键部件能减少后坐力并提高射击精度。AWEIL 曾从一家私营供应商处采购了 200 个炮口制退器。

However, artillery units reported that these components were of poor quality and did not meet required specifications. The faulty muzzle brakes posed risks not only to operational effectiveness but also to personnel safety.

然而，炮兵部队报告称这些部件质量低劣，未达到规定标准。存在缺陷的炮口制退器不仅影响作战效能，更对人员安全构成威胁。

Since the first induction of 18 upgraded Sharang guns in March 2020, artillery units have flagged multiple failures in mechanical and electronic systems. Despite repeated complaints and formal communication, sources claim AWEIL failed to adequately address the defects forcing now the Indian Army to silence the guns.

自 2020 年 3 月首批 18 门升级版"沙朗"火炮列装以来，炮兵部队多次指出其机械与电子系统存在故障。尽管反复投诉并进行正式沟通，消息人士称先进武器与装备印度有限公司未能有效解决缺陷，最终导致印度陆军被迫停用这批火炮。

“The issue has been known to AWEIL for over two years. Continued delays and subpar rectifications are not only endangering soldiers’ lives but also leading to wasteful expenditure of public funds,” said another senior official.

"这一问题在两年前就为先进武器装备印度有限公司（AWEIL）所知。持续的延误和低标准的整改不仅危及士兵生命，还导致公共资金的浪费，"另一位高级官员表示。

Call for accountability

问责呼声

The incident has sparked calls within the defence establishment for a formal inquiry to determine accountability for the widespread use of substandard metals, components, and assemblies.

该事件已引发国防体系内部要求进行正式调查的呼声，以追究广泛使用劣质金属、部件和组件的责任。

“This reflects poorly on the Ministry of Defence’s efforts toward indigenisation and self-reliance in military hardware,” sources noted, urging urgent corrective action.

消息人士指出："这暴露出国防部在军事装备本土化与自主化方面的不足"，并呼吁立即采取纠正措施。

This is not the first time Indian defence PSUs have come under scrutiny over artillery manufacturing. The CBI is currently investigating Delhi-based Sidh Sales Syndicate for allegedly supplying counterfeit roller bearings — marketed as German-made but found to be Chinese — for the Dhanush artillery guns, India’s upgraded version of the Bofors system.

这不是印度国防公共部门企业在火炮制造上首次受到质疑。印度中央调查局(CBI)正调查总部位于德里的 Sidh Sales Syndicate 公司，该公司被指控为"丹努什"榴弹炮——印度对博福斯系统的升级版本——供应假冒的滚柱轴承（宣称德国制造但实为中国产）。

As the Army remains firm on its quality requirements, AWEIL has been officially informed of the decision to suspend further inductions of the Sharang guns until all issues are resolved.

由于军方坚持质量要求，高级武器装备印度有限公司(AWEIL)已正式收到暂停接收更多"沙朗"火炮的通知，直至所有问题得到解决。