India's aging artillery: The M‑46 field gun still in action
The tense situation between Pakistan and India shows no signs of de-escalating, as evidenced by the artillery duels along the border. The Indians are using M-46 field guns that date back to Stalin's era. Let's explore what this relic can do.
The nighttime airstrike by India on Pakistan on the night of May 6 to 7, 2025, resulted in the start of ongoing battles. It is reported that India lost at least two aircraft in the raid, one of which was a Rafale. The fighting, which is likely to conclude in a few days, mainly involves artillery duels between both sides. The video below shows how the Indians are using M-46 field guns to shell Pakistani targets.
It is worth noting that India plans to replace these with modern ATAGS 155 mm howitzers, but the delivery of several hundred systems will take years. This means that the M-46 field guns, dating back to Stalin's era, will remain in service for a few more years.
M-46 field gun - a relic from Stalin's era
The history of the field gun dates back to the period just after World War II when the USSR was looking for a new solution that could replace the A-19 guns. In response to operational needs, the M-36 naval gun was developed and mounted on a wheeled carriage.
Although the new gun had limitations, such as not being able to shoot at angles greater than 45 degrees, its barrel length of 55 calibres (approximately 7 metres) provided a high muzzle velocity for projectiles, resulting in a significant range.
The 3OF33 fragmentation shells, containing 3.6 kilograms of TNT, allow firing at targets up to approximately 27 kilometres away. In the case of projectiles with a base bleed, like the Chinese ERFB (NUBB), this range increases to 39 kilometres. For this reason, these guns have greater capabilities than most 122 mm systems, for which the ultimate range is 14 kilometres for the Goździk, or 24 kilometres for longer-barrel versions like the D-74.
For this reason, they are useful in duels with 105 mm howitzers or, in some respects, allow dueling with short-barrel 155 mm howitzers. In the case of India, there is also the fact of having vast reserves of 130 mm ammunition.
