No place to hide: India's ramjet artillery capable of blowing Pakistan's rear commands to pieces

 

With yet another achievement under the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-Sufficient India) initiative, the Indian Army is on the cusp of becoming the world’s first military to induct the use of 155 mm ramjet-assisted artillery shells. This revolutionary technology, developed jointly by IIT-Madras and the Indian Army, is set to give a whole new dimension to the range and potential of tube artillery.

Successful Trials Conducted in Pokhran 

The developmental firing trials of the indigenous ramjet shells were successfully carried out at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in the state of Rajasthan. 

At the current stage, the project is being developed and optimized. The team is working on: 

Parameters For Optimality

Callbacks for steady burn rates, even at Mach 3 velocities.  

Air Intake System design, which would allow efficient compression of oxygen during flight. 

Resistance while firing the shells using gun propulsion during Mach 3 velocities, where the shells have been designed to maintain their thrust. 

Doubling the Range: 60km to 100km+ Standard 155mm artillery shells usually have a range of 30–40 km. However, ramjet technology would use an engine that breathes oxygen from the air to produce continuous thrust after being fired from the gun.

• Initial Operational Range: From 60 to 80 kilometers.
• Future Variants: targeted to exceed 100 kilometers.
• Hypersonic Speed: The shots reach speeds of as much as Mach 3 ($3704.4 \\text{ km/hr}$), simply too fast to be intercepted.

Universal Compatibility-Retrofitting

One of the most significant benefits of this indigenous tech is its "plug-and-play" nature. According to Professor P.A. Ramakrishnan of IIT Madras, the system is designed to be retrofitted onto existing 155 mm shells.

That would imply that India does not have to make any new platforms; the ramjet shells can be employed across all existing and future artillery systems, including:

• M777 Ultra-Light Howitzers
• ATAGS-Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System
• Guns Dhanush and Sharand
• K9 Vajra Self-Propelled Howitzers

Strat Kartha: Deep Strike Capability Deep strikes through tube artillery, instead of highly expensive missiles, would provide the required decisive edge in high-intensity conflicts along borders with China and Pakistan.

Logistics Targeting: Able to destroy enemy command and logistics nodes and airfields well back from forward troops.

Counter-Battery Fire: The extended range allows Indian batteries to strike enemy guns while remaining out of the reach of their retaliatory fire.

Global Leadership: This technology positions India as a world leader in artillery innovation, significantly reducing import dependence and opening doors for high-tech defense exports.In early 2026, the Indian Army is on the verge of becoming the first military in the world to operationally deploy 155mm ramjet-powered artillery shells.¹ This breakthrough, developed by IIT Madras in collaboration with the Indian Army and DRDO, is set to fundamentally change the dynamics of border warfare.²

The central claim—that these shells could blow Pakistan's "rear commands to pieces"—refers to the shells' ability to strike deep-seated logistics nodes, command centers, and airfields that were previously only reachable by expensive missiles.³

The Technology: How it Works

Unlike conventional artillery shells that rely solely on the initial blast from the gun to travel, ramjet shells contain an integrated air-breathing engine.⁴

• Supersonic Activation: The shell is fired from a standard 155mm gun.⁵ Once it reaches a speed of Mach 2, the ramjet engine "kicks in."⁶

• Air-Breathing Thrust: It sucks in oxygen from the atmosphere to burn internal fuel, providing sustained thrust that propels the shell significantly further than traditional munitions.⁷

• Speed: These projectiles can reach speeds up to Mach 3, making them nearly impossible to intercept with current point-defense systems.⁸

Strategic Capability & Range

The primary advantage of this technology is the dramatic extension of "tube artillery" range.⁹

Feature	Conventional Shells	Ramjet-Powered Shells
Standard Range	~30 km	~60–80 km
High-End Range	~45–48 km (Base Bleed)	100+ km (Future Variants)
Cost	Relatively Low	Higher than standard, but far cheaper than missiles
Interception	Difficult	Extremely Difficult (Supersonic/Hypersonic)

Impact on Regional Security (India vs. Pakistan)

Military analysts point to three major tactical shifts this technology creates:

1. Deep Strike Capability: With a range of 80+ km, Indian artillery positioned near the border can now target "Rear Commands"—the logistics and command infrastructure located 50–70 km behind the enemy's front lines.¹⁰ For example, a battery near Amritsar could theoretically strike targets deep within the suburbs of Lahore or major Pakistani military hubs without moving a single inch forward.¹¹

2. Counter-Battery Dominance: It allows Indian batteries to strike Pakistani artillery guns while staying well out of the range of their retaliatory fire (Pakistan’s standard howitzers generally max out at 30–40 km).¹²

3. Strategic Deterrence: Following Operation Sindoor (a reported 2025 multi-domain precision operation against terrorist infrastructure), the induction of ramjet artillery serves as a "deterrence by punishment," signaling that India can strike deep into adversarial territory using mass-produced artillery rather than a limited stock of cruise missiles.¹³

Current Status (January 2026)

The shells have already undergone successful trials at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.¹⁴ They are designed to be "retrofittable," meaning they can be fired from existing Indian 155mm platforms like the ATAGS (Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System), Dhanush, and the K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzer.¹⁵

Would you like me to find more details on the specific targets reached during the latest Pokhran trials?

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