Massed Fires to Precision: Is the Balance Shifting?

Abstract

The need for precision was felt during the Vietnam War. This led to the development of a variety of Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) which led to these being selectively used in the interregnum. The current war in Ukraine has seen an increasing quantum of Massed Fire as well as Precision Fire. In many phases, Russia has been firing 20,000 rounds per day while Ukraine is firing 4000 rounds. Artillery is the principal arm being used for operations. There is a need to see how our environment has been impacted. In our context, the Kargil operation in 1999 was the harbinger for the introduction of PGMs. Gradually we have introduced them and the high point was the usage of Spice 2000 bombs in the strike on Balakot in 2019. Precision weapons are costly and use of these on prioritised targets would be the answer.