Artillery

Indian Field Gun

Also known as
  • IFG
  • LFG
  • 105 mm IFG
  • 105 mm LFG
  • 105 mm Indian Field Gun
  • 105mm Indian Field Gun
  • 105 mm Light Field Gun
  • 105mm Light Field Gun
  • 105/37 mm Light Field Gun
  • Indian 105 mm field gun
  • IFG Mk 1
  • IFG Mk 2
  • LFG Mk 1
  • LFG Mk 2

The Indian Field Gun is an Indian 105 mm towed artillery family designed by ARDE to replace older 25-pounder guns and keep light fire support workable in mountain, plain, and desert terrain. The family includes the original IFG and lighter LFG, with Field Gun Factory Kanpur and Gun Carriage Factory Jabalpur tied to production and support, and 2020s reporting still connecting the guns to border deployments, ceremonial salutes, and automatic-laying modernization.

Indian Field Gun, 105 mm towed field gun family, Artillery
Image source: Indian Field Gun.jpg

Role in Conflicts

1999 Kargil War
Fire Support
Side
India

During the 1999 Kargil War, Indian forces used 105 mm Indian field guns in direct-firing artillery support against Pakistani positions, including visible sangars before the Tololing assault in the Drass sector.

2025 India-Pakistan Conflict
Fire Support
Side
India

During the 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict, Indian reporting tied 105 mm Light Field Guns to Operation Sindoor and described artillery guns deployed along the western front; available public sourcing does not identify specific firing missions or targets for the family.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
India
Type
105 mm towed field gun family
Service note
1970s-present Indian Army service
Designer
Armament Research and Development Establishment
Designed
1972
Produced
IFG first ready by 1978; LFG in service from 1984; current AWEIL reporting lists 105 mm LFG manufacture and IFG/LFG overhaul

Specifications

Caliber
105 mm
Crew
6
Weight
3,450 kg (IFG); 2,380 kg (LFG)
Maximum range
17,400 m (IFG); 17,200 m to 20,000 m (LFG reported range band)
Rate of fire
4 rpm normal; 6 rpm intense; 1 rpm sustained
Carriage
Split-trail towed carriage with hydropneumatic recoil
LFG mobility
FAS describes the LFG as light enough for helilifted mountain deployment
LFG elevation and traverse
AWEIL reporting lists -5 to +73 degrees elevation and 360-degree traverse on the firing platform
Family And Modernization Context

The Indian Field Gun page is best read as a 105 mm family profile. Sources distinguish the original IFG from the lighter LFG, and later Indian artillery modernization places both in a force moving toward newer 155 mm systems such as Dhanush.

Original purpose

ARDE's 1972 design effort is described as a domestic replacement path for the British-era 25-pounder.

Light variant

The LFG kept the same 105 mm role while emphasizing lower weight, terrain mobility, and helilift suitability.

Modern retrofit

In 2026, reporting described an Indian Army IFG modified with automatic gun-laying technology and digital fire-control integration.

Variants

Public sources describe the entry as a family split between the original Indian Field Gun and the lighter Light Field Gun, with some mark-level designations less securely sourced in open material.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Indian Field Gun (IFG)Original 105 mm family member

Bharat Shakti describes ARDE's 1972 design work and first guns being ready by 1978; later reporting identifies the 105 mm Indian Field Gun as the platform modified for automatic laying.

Sources: Modernisation Of Indian Artillery Picks Up Pace - Bharat Shakti, Indian Army makes its artillery arm more lethal by giving its guns automatic aiming capability

Light Field Gun (LFG)Lighter mountain-mobility variant

FAS describes the LFG as a light, helilift-capable close-support gun for mountain terrain, while AWEIL reporting lists 105 mm LFG manufacture and IFG/LFG overhaul.

Sources: 105 mm Indian and Light Field Guns (IFG/LFG), AWEIL Annual Report 2024-25

Light Field Gun Mark 1 / Mark 2Open-source mark designations

The Mark 1 and Mark 2 names are retained as search and family context, but stronger official detail on their exact changes was not found in the sources reviewed for this update.

Sources: Republic Day parade 2023: British-era 25-pounder guns to be replaced with 105mm Indian field guns

Timeline

Indian Field Gun Key Events

  1. ARDE begins the design

    Reporting on the program says ARDE designed the Indian Field Gun from 1972 as a domestic 105 mm replacement for older British 25-pounder guns.

    Sources: Modernisation Of Indian Artillery Picks Up Pace - Bharat Shakti, Republic Day parade 2023: British-era 25-pounder guns to be replaced with 105mm Indian field guns

  2. First guns are ready

    Bharat Shakti says the first Indian Field Guns were ready by 1978.

    Sources: Modernisation Of Indian Artillery Picks Up Pace - Bharat Shakti

  3. Lighter variant enters service

    India Sentinels described the lighter 105 mm Indian Field Gun variant as being in service from 1984.

    Sources: Republic Day parade 2023: British-era 25-pounder guns to be replaced with 105mm Indian field guns

  4. Direct fire supports Tololing assault

    GlobalSecurity describes 105 mm Indian field guns and 155 mm Bofors guns being used in a direct-firing role against Pakistani positions before the capture of Tololing during the Kargil War.

    Sources: 1999 Kargil Conflict

  5. Operation Sindoor-era ceremonial role reported

    India Today reported that 105 mm Light Field Guns would perform the Independence Day salute after the guns were tied to Operation Sindoor and western-front artillery deployment.

    Sources: India's indigenous guns to perform 21-gun salute on Independence Day

  6. Automatic aiming retrofit reported

    The Times of India reported that the Indian Army had upgraded a 105 mm Indian Field Gun with automatic laying capability using a computer-based fire-control approach.

    Sources: Indian Army makes its artillery arm more lethal by giving its guns automatic aiming capability

Media

Indian Field Gun Images

Indian Field Gun, 105 mm towed field gun family, Artillery - view 1
Source: Ranjit Lal Jetley at the Pragati Maidan Defence exhibition.jpg
Indian Field Gun, 105 mm towed field gun family, Artillery - view 2
Source: Indian Field Gun.jpg
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Sources

AWEIL Annual Report 2024-25Publisher: Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited | Note: Supports manufacturer and background context for the Indian Field Gun family, including AWEIL's role in manufacturing 105 mm LFGs, overhauling IFG and LFG guns, and reporting LFG specification context. | Accessed: 2026-07-13AWEIL Annual Report 2022-23Publisher: Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited | Note: Supports 105 mm Light Field Gun background and specifications, including calibre, range, and elevation data published by the manufacturer. | Accessed: 2026-07-13AWEIL products pagePublisher: Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited | Note: Supports current AWEIL product context for the Light Field Gun (105 mm) under large-calibre weapons. | Accessed: 2026-07-13AWEIL units and divisionsPublisher: Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited | Note: Supports official production-unit context for Field Gun Factory Kanpur and Gun Carriage Factory Jabalpur. | Accessed: 2026-07-13105 mm Indian and Light Field Guns (IFG/LFG)Publisher: Federation of American Scientists | Note: Supports IFG/LFG family context, LFG light-weight mountain mobility, helilift suitability, and 17 km class range. | Accessed: 2026-07-131999 Kargil ConflictPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports 1999 Kargil War direct conflict use: Indian forces used 105 mm Indian field guns in a direct-firing role against Pakistani positions in the Tololing phase of the Kargil fighting. | Accessed: 2026-07-13India's indigenous guns to perform 21-gun salute on Independence DayPublisher: India Today | Note: Supports 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict direct conflict-use context: the article ties 105 mm Light Field Guns to Operation Sindoor and describes Indian artillery guns deployed along the western front. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Booming guns, hovering drones: Regiment of Artillery puts up spectacular showPublisher: Brahmand / Press Trust of India | Note: Supports 2026 Exercise TOPCHI context, including the listed presence of 105 mm Indian Field Gun and Light Field Gun among Indian artillery systems and drill commentary that many showcased assets had been used in offensives including Operation Sindoor. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Modernisation Of Indian Artillery Picks Up Pace - Bharat ShaktiPublisher: Bharat Shakti | Note: Supports Indian Field Gun background and development history, including the 1972 design start, replacement of the British 25-pounder, and first guns being ready by 1978. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Republic Day parade 2023: British-era 25-pounder guns to be replaced with 105mm Indian field gunsPublisher: India Sentinels | Note: Supports Indian Field Gun background, including the 1972 design start, 25-pounder replacement context, and the lighter variant being described as in service from 1984. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Indian Army makes its artillery arm more lethal by giving its guns automatic aiming capabilityPublisher: The Times of India | Note: Supports Indian Field Gun background and modernization context: the article reports an Indian Army 105 mm Indian Field Gun retrofit with automatic aiming capability, computer-based laying, and digital fire-control integration. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Indian Field Gun.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the main Indian Field Gun image. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Ranjit Lal Jetley at the Pragati Maidan Defence exhibition.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the prototype Indian 105 mm light field gun exhibition image. | Accessed: 2026-07-13105 mm Indian Field Gun at Jabalpur Engineering College.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for the additional Indian Field Gun gallery image. | Accessed: 2026-07-13