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Bringing an end to the Indian Army’s three-decade wait for a new artillery gun, India has received the first two M-777 Ultralight Howitzers artillery guns from the US manufacturers.
The two 155mm/39 caliber guns will be test-fired at the Pokhran field firing range in Rajasthan on Thursday.
The arrival of the M-777 guns comes soon after the government also inked a Rs 4,366-crore contract with engineering conglomerate L&T for the supply of 100 self-propelled howitzers in collaboration with its South Korean technology partner Hanwha Tech Win.
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The M-777 guns are part of India’s 145-gun order from the US for $700 million. The guns will be used to shore up defence in high-altitude areas bordering China.
Weighing just over 4-tonne due to the use of titanium, the M-777 can swiftly be airlifted to high-altitudes areas up to 16,000-feet in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control with China.
The air portable 155mm/39 calibre gun, with maximum range of 30 km, is manufactured by BAE Systems. Out of 145 guns, BAE will deliver 25 guns and rest will be assembled in India by Mahindra.
“In fulfillment of the United States' Foreign Military Sale of 145 M-777 ultra-light weight howitzer to India, we are pleased to confirm that the first two weapon systems will land in India ahead of schedule over this weekend,” a BAE Systems spokesman had said in a statement.
“We continue to support the US government in integrating this new weapon system with the Indian Army’s artillery modernisation programme,” he said.
This is the first induction of howitzers after the Bofors scandal broke out nearly 30 years ago. The Bofors controversy revolves around the allegation that Swedish defence manufacturer Bofors paid huge kickbacks to then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and others for the sale of an artillery gun to India.
(With inputs from agencies)
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