Jabalpur, Jan 21 (IANS): The 155 mm towed field gun Sharang has cleared the final field test and is ready to be inducted in the Indian Army sometime before March 31, sources in the Ordnance Factory board (OFB) said on Tuesday.

The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) is a towed 155 mm/52 calibre howitzer upgraded indigenously.

The first fleet of 18 towed artillery 130 mm guns indigenously upgraded to 155 mm with a strike range of 39 km, cleared the final muster at Khamaria on Tuesday. The earlier striking range was 27 km.

The gun underwent integrated firing check at the Long Proof Range of Ordnance Factory Khamaria off Jabalpur on Tuesday, defence sources said.

The Gun Carriage Factory (GCF) in Jabalpur district had clinched the global contract for upgrading the Sharang gun.

Various government institutions are involved in the indigenous upgrade of the Sharang gun, including the ordnance factories, a team of Indian Army, DRDO and others.

Sources said the gun has successfully gone through the integrated firing checks on different parameters ranging from 0 degree to 45 degrees.