By A Correspondent

New Delhi/Paris: In a breakthrough for India’s firepower modernisation, defence manufacturer SMPP has sealed a high-impact teaming agreement with European defence giant KNDS to bring the cutting-edge KATANA precision-guided artillery ammunition to India.

The pact, signed on November 20, 2025, at the Milipol 2025 exhibition in Paris, marks one of the most significant advancements in India’s pursuit of next-generation 155mm munitions.

The KATANA family, comprising Ballistic Range (BR), Extended Range (ER), and High Precision (HP) variants, is engineered to transform battlefield effectiveness with extended reach and pinpoint accuracy.

Designed to strike armoured targets and operate seamlessly across mountains, plains, and dense urban environments, KATANA represents the future of precision artillery warfare.

At its core is a hybrid guidance system combining multi-constellation GNSS with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), enabling decametric-level precision.

A forthcoming variant featuring a semi-active laser seeker promises metric-level accuracy, ideal for high-risk, high-value targets.

Its fire-and-forget capability further boosts survivability and effectiveness in high-tempo operations.

Under the new collaboration, SMPP and KNDS will jointly offer and potentially manufacture the KATANA series in India, fully aligned with the government’s Make in India and defence indigenisation goals.

The timing is crucial, given the Indian Army’s pressing need for 155mm artillery systems and precision ammunition to reinforce long-range strike capabilities along sensitive borders.

SMPP, founded in 1985 and operating modern facilities in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, has emerged as a key player in India’s defence ecosystem, producing armouring solutions, personnel protection, large-calibre ammunition, and unmanned systems.

KNDS, Europe’s leading land-systems powerhouse, brings deep experience in advanced munitions, system integration, and mission-ready combat platforms, making this partnership a strategic force multiplier for India’s artillery modernisation.

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