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| M777 155mm Howitzer (File Photo) |
By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI
NEW DELHI — Indian Army officers and defense analysts here criticized as irrational a Defence Ministry decision to spend nearly as much buying homemade 130mm Arjun Catapult artillery systems as it would have on advanced 155mm howitzers.
India is buying 40 of the Arjun Catapult systems, which is a hybrid of aging Russian-made 130mm guns mounted on indigenous Arjun tank chassis. It will cost nearly as much as purchasing 155mm light howitzers from the US subsidiary of BAE Systems — a deal the Army has been awaiting since 2010.
India’s Defense Acquisition Council, which is headed by the defense minister and responsible for weapon procurement decisions, on Aug. 29 cleared the purchase of 40 Arjun Catapult guns for $150 million from the Avadhi-based Combat Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE). This is part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
A senior Indian Army officer said it would have been better if MoD had approved the purchase of 145 more capable M777 light howitzers for nearly the same per-unit cost.
“I fail to understand why MoD finds the light howitzer guns expensive,” the office said.
The M777 is lighter than the Arjun Catapult and has a firing range of up to 40 kilometers compared with 24 kilometers for Arjun Catapult. In addition, the M777 has advanced digital fire control systems that Army officers have said is far superior. The M777 also can be transported by helicopter.
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