Two regiments of the Bofors guns along with regiments of the 105 mm and 130 mm are lined up on the national highway from the Zojila Pass to Kargil belching fire and brimstone on the infiltrators. But it is the Bofors howitzer which has drawn praise for its success in neutralising Pakistani gun positions in PoK and the deeply-entrenched infiltrators atop ridges standing at 15,000-18,000 feet.

``The Army has used helicopter observation posts to direct the fire from the Bofors guns onto the infiltrators' positions. The gun has inflicted heavy casualties on the infiltrators. It is a very accurate gun and has rendered a very fine performance,'' said the 15 Corps Commander, Lt Gen Krishan Pal.

The Bofors scores over the 105 mm field gunbecause of its heavier and more effective 155 mm shell while its high-angle fire of 79-81 degrees gives it a better crest clearance than the 130 mm gun which can fire at angles only up to 45 degrees.

But accurate Pakistani intelligence on Indian gun positions in the Zojila Pass has meant that gun positions are shifted at a moment's notice. At Matayan, a battery of six Bofors guns was positioned right up against the mountain, with its barrel raised to maximum elevation to lob shells over the ridges. ``Unlike the other artillery guns, the Bofors can be placed right against a cliff face because it can fire high-angle like a mortar. By placing the guns against the cliff face, the chances of being struck by Pakistani shelling are very much reduced,'' said a gunner.

Nearer Kargil, half a battery of the Bofors have reinforced the solitary 130 mm gun. But even as the hands clamp down on the ears to shut out the deafening roar of the Bofors engaging the Pakistani gun postions at Shaquma and Gultari in POK, thegunner here points to problems of spares.

If there is one gun which has been a success in the mountains, it is the Bofors, said the gunner. ``Normally we are cannibalising the guns to adjust for spares. When spares are just not available, we switch onto the manual mode,'' he said.

How does the manual mode affect the firing? ``On the automatic, computerised mode, the gun can lob three shells in 14 seconds. But on manual mode, the speed of fire is greatly hit and one can fire one round in 90 seconds only. But fortunately, the Kargil action has till yet not required rapid fire,'' the gunner said.

The Bofors defence of Kargil stretches way back to September 1997 when Pakistani firing left 17 civilians dead and then again in September 1998 when a detachment was rushed to Kargil to counter the severe Pakistani interdiction of the national highway.

Not only did the Bofors lead the Indian broadside from Uri to Siachen, but it showed its mettle in mountain warfare when it drew blood at a Pakistani ammuntiondump of 6,000 shells at Shaquma fronting the Kargil-Drass LoC sector. ``The gun achieved a crest clearance of 6,000 m to annihilate a artillery shell dump at Shaquma,'' said a senior officer at the 15 Corps HQs here.