NEW DELHI: India recently tested its heaviest indigenous 120-mm vehicle-mounted mortar system, ‘Garudastra’, in Madhya Pradesh.Designed for high mobility and precision, the system successfully completed live demonstrations for the Indian Army.

The huge advantage of ‘Garudastra’ is that it is a vehicle-mounted mortar system that can be used for rapid shoot-and-scoot operations, thus avoiding detection by the enemy of the mortar’s positioning.Developed by Nibe Ltd, Garudastra’s special features are its high rate of fire, multiple rounds simultaneous impact and precision engagement of the guided munition using GPS and laser guidance.Operated by a two-member crew capable of firing 12 rounds in 60 seconds, Nibe successfully demonstrated the Garudastra system at Infantry School Mhow, Army’s oldest military training centre.Equipped with a 17-kg warhead designed to penetrate up to 20 cm of reinforced concrete, it can neutralise bunkers and hardened structures, and can engage targets from a distance of 7-10 km.It can integrate GPS and laser-guided munitions for pinpoint accuracy with minimum collateral damage and can link directly to command/control networks, battle management systems.