Army's Artillery modernisation need.
155/52 SP Howitzers
To provide effective and persistent counter-battery fires, it is critical to survive the enemy CB (counter bombardment) first. Hence, Range and mobility becomes essential. In a potential future conflict, Army's Medium Artillery Regiments will be tasked with providing counter battery fires against adversary’s long range heavy Artillery as Army's 105mm and 122mm field artillery guns are simply cannot reach them. However, Army's Medium Artillery Regiments are mostly equipped with old, towed, Chinese 130mm Type-59-1 and 122mm PL-96 guns that doesn’t have the accuracy of digital automatic fire control system or more critically, the range of 155mm/52 calibre heavy Artillery. (which neighbouring country is standardising for its artillery branch)
Ukraine battlefield has clearly demonstrated that 'mobility' (almost) equal 'survivability'. However, except one self propelled Regiment of NORA B-52 K1, all the other assets of Army's artillery are towed. That include approximately thirty field Artillery Regiments and five medium artillery regiments. In tomorrow's war fighting, where responses time is rapidly shortening due to introduction of advanced C4, battle management systems and automatic fire control systems, this rigid old school towed Artillery force of the Army will not survive a competent adversary. While due to budget limitation it is practically not possible to transform the whole Artillery branch into a Self propelled one. Nor is it desirable as in the hilly terrains of Chottogram and Sylhet districts light Towed guns are still more suitable on average.
Thus, to keep up with today's trends Army must introduce more long range 155/52 Self propelled heavy Artillery. And if budget does not allow to raise sufficient numbers of new SP Regiments and equip them alongside the existing Medium regiments, (which would likely to be the case) then in the long run when phasing out the old Type-59-1 130mm towed guns, army should convert three of the medium artillery regiments to SP Regiments, and equip them with 155mm/52 calibre long range SP Howitzers.
We recommend Army should raise two more SP Regiments by 2030 and additional four SP Regiments by 2040. Due to the budget limitation and logistical setup, Army is unlikely to afford tracked howitzers anytime soon. However, NORA B-52 has proven to be an adequate, cost effective weapon system for the Army. Procuring more of them would be the logical choice in short to medium term.
