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| M777 Towed Artillery Gun (File Photo) |
After protracted delays, the Indian Army may be getting new artillery guns by 2014. Two "prototypes" of artillery guns developed by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and the procurement of $647 million acquisition of 145 M-777 (155mm/39-calibre) ultra-light howitzers (ULH) from the US may provide the answer to the artillery starved of new equipment for almost three decades now. The artillery procurement plan has the dubious distinction of maximum number of scandals to include Swedish Bofors, South African Denel [technically due to anti material rifles], Israeli Soltam and Singapore Technology Kinetic's (STK).
The OFB prototypes are based on the designs obtained under the transfer of technology (ToT) provisions in the Bofors contract for 410 155mm howitzers in 1986. "The prototypes, one with 68% indigenous parts and the other with 46%, will undergo validation firing in March-April before the final user trials in June," said a source quoted by the Times of India.
Rs 1,260-crore have been allotted for acquisition of 114 artillery field guns developed by the OFB. "Now, the OFB has worked on the original drawings and electronically upgraded the guns to 45-calibre from the original 39-calibre. The new howitzers have a 38-km range compared to the 30-km of the Bofors gun," an official was quoted by the Times of India.
The letter of acceptance for the light howitzers is also likely to be issued shortly. "An Indian `maintainability evaluation team' visited the US from February 8 to 25 to inspect the howitzers. The guns will be delivered to India within a year of the deal being closed," as per a source quoted by the Times of India. With the letter of acceptance likely to be issued by the middle of the year, the guns could be expected earliest by 2014.
100 self-propelled tracked guns are also due for purchase from a foreign vendor and 814 mounted gun systems will be developed through a joint venture with the private sector with a number of firms such as L & T, Tata, Bharat Forge having lined up for the contract. Public sector BEML is also working along with some foreign vendors but given the firms internal management problems the bid is likely to be lower on the priority list. There are no firm indications of the contracts for the 1580 number of 155mm/52-calibre which will make up the artillery armoury in the future.
This Article first appeared on Security Risks and is reposted here under a Creative Commons license.