Each weekday, 200 to 1,000 shells go out of the Centre's protected precincts. The only time its doors are opened to the public is during Exercise Topchi each year. With officials unwilling to go on record, Topchi is the only source of information on the kind of shells fired. The following weapons were seen at Topchi:
105 mm Indian/Field Gun and 105 mm Light Field Gun: Developed after 1971, both have similar firing characteristics although the former is 1,100 kg heavier. Maximum range: 17 km.
130 mm gun: The M-46 of Soviet origin weighs 8,450 kg and has a maximum range of 27.5 km. Shell weight: 33.4 kg.
155 mm FH 77 B: Otherwise infamous as the Bofors gun, this is the latest addition to the Centre's inventory. Range: 30 mm. Shell weight: 42 kg.
122 mm Howitzer D-30: Put into service in 1967, it uses steel cartridges instead of the conventional brass. Range: 15.5. km. Shell weightt: 22 kg.
75/24 mm Indian Mountain Gun: Indigenously designed, it can be carried on mules. Range: 11 km.
120 mm mortar: In use for over three decades now, it has a range of 6.5 km with standard ammunition and 8.9 km with rocket-assisted propulsion.
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