New Delhi: Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) said it has exported two 52 calibre barrels to Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors AB from which it had imported 155 mm howitzer guns in the mid-1980s.

In the last 14-15 years, the OFB has done “immense progress” in the field of high-calibre barrels, be it for tanks, medium and heavy artillery guns, and the barrel of Dhanush artillery gun has been indigenously developed, OFB Chairman Hari Mohan said.

The OFB, which celebrated its 219th foundation day on March 18, has exported its newly developed 52-calibre barrel for 155 mm artillery guns to Bofors Test Centre, he said.

Mohan said that OFB has exported two 52-calibre barrels to Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors AB, from which it had imported 155 mm howitzer guns in the mid-1980s.

“We have made a prototype which is truck-chassis mounted,” Mohan told the media in New Delhi.

“Now we are embarking upon a barrel further increasing it to 52-calibre. The range of 155 mm Dhanush gun is 38 km. The Bofors gun barrel is 39-calibre, while that of Dhanush is 45-calibre,” he said.

The OFB Chairman said the OFB has already designed and manufactured 52-calibre barrel, an important component of a full-fledged gun, and mounted one on a truck.

“We have exported these to Bofors and 52-calibre barrels have been taken by its test centre, which is using these for validation of 155 mm ammunition being developed by global OEMs,” he said.

More than 150 rounds of shells have been fired from these 52-calibre barrels, he said.

“The barrel is behaving better than expected and the Bofors Test Centre is extremely happy,” he said.

Apart from the barrel, Bofors is also taking the breech mechanism and muzzle brakes and all the three are being used, he said.

“We indigenously developed the technology for 155mm/52-calibre barrels and exported these to Bofors Test Centre,” OFB chairman said.

He said the OFB, which had initially handed over six Dhanush artillery guns to the Indian Army will in a few weeks supply another six such guns.