The Army on Thursday took delivery of two M777 ultralight howitzers from the U.S. under a contract signed in 2016. The guns will be put through trials before induction into the Indian arsenal.
These are the first modern 155-mm artillery guns to be inducted after the Swedish Bofors guns in the 1980s, the deal for which kicked up a major controversy and left the Army’s artillery modernisation programme stalled for years. The Bofors guns, which was found effective during the Kargil war, continue to be the mainstay.
“Two M777 A-2 (Indian) ULHs arrived today for preparation of firing tables. During this event, the guns will fire 155-mm indigenous ammunition. As per the contract agreement, firing tables are being prepared by the contracted agency — U.S. government and BAE Systems with support of the Army,” the Army said in a statement.
Last November, India entered into a contract with the U.S. government under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme for buying 145 BAE Systems-built M777 A-2 artillery guns in a $737-million deal.
Twenty-five of them will be imported and 120 assembled in India in partnership with the Mahindra group. As the 39-calibre towed artillery gun made of titanium and aluminium alloys weighs only four tonnes, they can be transported under-slung on helicopters.
Modernisation on track
After firing tables are ready, three more guns will be received in in September for training purpose, the statement said.
Induction will commence in March 2019, with five guns arriving each month till mid-2021.
“The guns undergo year-long trials. They will first go to the Pokhran ranges,” a senior officer told The Hindu .
Another officer explained that range tables are required when integrating local ammunition with the gun and calibrating it against variables such as weather and temperature.
Dhanush, an upgraded and indigenous version of the Bofors gun, is in the final stage of trials and induction is slated to begin soon.
Development of a new gun, the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), under a public-private partnership (PPP) model jointly by the public and the private sector is progressing well.