Faulty Indian Ammo Damages First Artillery Guns (M777 howitzer) Imported In 3 Decades

[Windjammer]

This isn't the first time that the Army has had problems with ammunition provided by the OFB. In two separate incidents in May and July, the barrels of two prototypes of the indigenous Dhanush artillery gun were also damaged after faulty shells damaged the barrels of the gun.

All India | Written by Vishnu Som | Updated: September 12, 2017 18:45 IST



NEW DELHI: The first artillery gun imported by India in over three decades has been badly damaged after a shell manufactured by the Defence Ministry's Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) exploded.

Alarmingly, this is the third time in four months that a prototype artillery gun being tested by the Army prior to induction has had its barrel damaged by defective 155 millimetre High Explosive shells sourced from the OFB.

According to Army sources, a US made M-777 ultra-light howitzer being tested at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan had an accident on September 2 when a shell which was being fired exited the barrel in multiple pieces damaging the barrel of the gun.


Fortunately, no Army personnel testing the weapon were injured in the accident. A joint investigation team from the Army and BAE Systems, which are the manufacturers of the howitzer, is probing the incident.

The M-777 being tested were among the first two guns imported by the Army as part of a 700 million dollar government-to-government deal between India and the United States for 145 M-777s. The gun, which can be slung under a helicopter, is meant to be deployed at high-altitude locations along the China boundary.

This isn't the first time that the Army has had problems with ammunition provided by the OFB. In two separate incidents in May and July, the barrels of two prototypes of the indigenous Dhanush artillery gun were also damaged after faulty shells damaged the barrels of the gun.


The Dhanush, which is based on blue-prints of the Bofors gun, has cleared trials with the Indian Army and has a proven ability to strike targets 38 km away. The Army plans to acquire 414 Dhanush guns with each gun reportedly costing 14 crores.

The last artillery guns that India bought were the controversial Swedish Bofors guns in the mid-1980s. But the US $1.4 billion deal was mired in controversy after reports that the Swedish company had paid US$ 9.9 million (Rs. 64 crore) in kickbacks to top Indian politicians. It cost then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi a chance to return to power in the next election and slowed down defence procurement considerably.

NDTV has submitted a set of questions to the Ordnance Factory Board seeking their response to the series of accidents being attributed to faulty ammunition being provided.

 

[Sully3]

make in india

 

[Shane]

Defence

Faulty ammunition kills two, injures 43 BSF troopers in 6 years
By IANS | Updated: Jun 16, 2017, 01.20 PM IST

The BSF raised the issue with the Ordnance Factory Board, which functions under the Defence Ministry, after this year's May 30 incident at Kishangarh close to the Pakistan border leaving nine troopers injured.
By Rajnish Singh

NEW DELHI: Faulty mortar shellshave killed two Border Security Force ( BSF) troopers and injured 43 during training in the last six years. All the incidents occurred after the shells failed to take flight up to the desired distance and exploded just after they ejected from the mortar.

Data compiled by the BSF showed that the two deaths and 43 injuries occurred in nine incidents spread over three firing ranges -- Kishangarh in Rajasthan, Darrang in Assam and Sitagarha in Jharkhand -- between January 2012 and June 2017.


Three accidental shell explosions have been reported at two firing ranges this year, injuring 19 BSF personnel. The number of the injured BSF troopers this year is the highest in six years.

Only three such incidents occurred each in 2014, 2015 and 2016, causing injuries to one, nine and three BSF personnel, respectively.


Two incidents in 2013 left seven troopers injured while a solitary incident in 2012 injured four men.

The BSF raised the issue with the Ordnance Factory Board, which functions under the Defence Ministry, after this year's May 30 incident at Kishangarh close to the Pakistan border leaving nine troopers injured.

The incident happened around 8.30 a.m. when the BSF personnel were practising with 51mm mortar shells. One exploded without covering the entire distance.

BSF Inspector General (Operations) Rajiv Krishna told IANS that an inquiry report of the shell explosion had been shared with Ordnance Factory Board officials to check the manufacturing errors of shells provided by them and to take corrective steps.

"These incidents have occurred in earlier years too. Every time, we conduct a proper inquiry and submit our report to the ordnance board. Our investigation of the May 30 incident revealed that the shell exploded before reaching its destination due to a manufacturing defect in its fuse," Krishna said.

"The fuse in the shell did not function properly and it resulted in the shortfall."

Explaining the functioning of the fuse, another BSF official told IANS on condition of anonymity: "A proper combination of baarood (explosive) is filled in the fuse which produces a powerful smoke followed by fire which helps in propelling the shell to its destination.

"If the explosive doesn't burn properly, the fuse fails to throw the shell on to its target."

The 257,000-strong BSF is tasked with guarding India's land border and, although a paramilitary force, is trained by the Army. But it comes under the operational control of the Home Ministry.

(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.s@ians.in)

 

[Goenitz]

so their gun is ready but ammo is faulty? I first thought that their gun might have some metallurgical issues.
however, if they had cast the gun accurately then it is a big achievement....

 

[duhastmish]

where is our make in india ka sher?

sarkari sher is worst than a stray.

for god sake privatize bloody things.

its waste of money. privatized guns are fine but sarkari ammo is shyt

 

[Jobless Jack]

LOL !

 

[Mrc]

to india....

 

[Jinn Baba]

This is why the Indian armed forces want to import everything from barbed wire to fighter aircraft from other countries and want nothing from their domestic producers. The India defence industry can't build jack sh1t!

Meanwhile, Pakistan exports hundreds of millions of $$ in arms every year and China much more. Yet the Indians have the audacity to question the quality of Pak or Chinese military products guess being in denial is what being an Indian is all about

 

[Water Car Engineer]

This is what happens when you have one entity with no accountability produce ammo to tanks, and restrict the entrance of any competitors. Not only cant they meet the demand, QC isnt up to modern standards.

However, liberalization is happening currently, private sector is going to get lucrative contracts.

India to guarantee long-term ammo contracts to private sector

 

[Dark Lord Forever]

very pethatic of indian menufacturing. making ammo is basic. without this all weapon is useles.

 

[Dazzler]

Lol, ofb, enough said

 

[thesolar65]

That's good. That's a boon in disguise. The unions/communists or congress cannot counter these things. That will speed up privatization of OFBs. Wait for another year or so. That will change. OFBs will slowly become history at some point of time.

 

[Cat Shannon]

Old news.

 

[RoyalEnfieldBullet500]

Time has come to shut the gates of OFB

 

[Jinn Baba]

This is what happens when you have one entity with no accountability produce ammo to tanks, and restrict the entrance of any competitors. Not only cant they meet the demand, QC isnt up to modern standards.

However, liberalization is happening currently, private sector is going to get lucrative contracts.

India to guarantee long-term ammo contracts to private sector

This is what happens in India, not the rest of the world. These failings are restricted to countries like India only.

Pakistan for example also has just a single entity (with no competitors) produce ammo for it's army but we don't face such incompetence and low quality output.