Army's howitzer procurement plans run into rough weather

[sudhir007]

Army's howitzer procurement plans run into rough weather, IBN Live News

Indian army's plans to procure ultra-light howitzers for deployment along Sino-Indian border have run into rough weather and is expected to further delay its artillery modernisation programmme. After the 1987 Bofors gun deal controversy, army has not been able to induct even a single piece of artillery. Defence Ministry sources today said the process of procuring the M-777 guns from US-based BAE system has run into trouble. "Right now there is no progress in their procurement process," they said. The procurement of these guns hit the roadblock soon after their trials in Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan earlier this year after the leakage of the field trial reports, the sources said. As per Army's artillery modernisation programme, the procurement of 145 artillery guns was expected to begin by the end of this year. After certain objections from rival companies, the file regarding these guns were sent to the Law Ministry for its opinion, they said, adding that these guns are to be procured from the US under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) routes.
Meanwhile, the procurement process for 155-mm, 52-caliber self-propelled wheeled howitzer guns has entered its final stages of technical evaluations with the completion of its field trials. Rhinemetall from Germany and Konstrukta from Slovakia are in the race to supply 180 of these guns to the army.

 

[Indian Army]

Howitzer purchase: MoD sets up panel

The Army’s plan to buy howitzers from the US is likely to get a push with the Defence Ministry roping in DRDO head V K Saraswat for a recommendation on their purchase.

The deal had earlier got stuck after the ministry had second thoughts following the Army’s report that M-777 ultra-light howitzers would not fully meet qualitative requirements.

Sources said the committee headed by Saraswat will look into the trial reports of the gun and recommend whether to go forward with the purchase.

While the Army has already conveyed that the deviations from desired specifications are not very significant, the ministry has appointed the committee to get an independent view.

The panel’s recommendation, expected shortly, is likely to be positive and will be forwarded to the Defence Acquisition Council that will decide on the procurement.

Why they are trying to push it forward when Army is not satisfy with the field trials?