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For 22 years, the Bofors shadow stymied the armys efforts to buy heavy artillery. But now the defence ministry has come out with a list of big guns that it says it is in the process of buying.
Topping the list of competitors is no prizes for guessing Bofors in a new avatar.
Also, the US government and BAE Land Systems have taken the edge over a rival Singaporean firm with the government confirming that the army was going to buy ultra-light howitzers through the Pentagons direct foreign military sales route, skirting competition.
The total artillery modernisation programme of the Indian Army could top Rs 70,000 crore over 10 years.
Sources in the defence ministry confirmed that the SWS Defence AB of Sweden, now owned by BAE Land Systems, is competing for an order of 400 towed 155mm/52 calibre howitzers.
This is the first official confirmation that the company is in the race, though its contest with Singaporean firm, ST Kinetics, was reported earlier. The defence ministrys clarification follows loud but with whispered comments from within the armed forces that an intricate defence procurement policy and defence minister A.K. Antonys promises of transparency were slowing down acquisitions.
SWS Defences FH77B05 and ST Kineticss iFH 2000 towed guns were to go into winter trials near Kargil last month.
But after ST Kinetics requested for a deferment of the trials because its gun was damaged during shipment, the tests are now put off for six months. The FH77B05 is an upgraded version of the Bofors 155mm/39 calibre guns that erupted into a scam in 1986. The guns were seen in action in the 1999 Kargil war.
In the category of towed howitzers, the army will buy 400 guns off the shelf. An additional 1,180 is to be made by the winner of the competition through technology transfer to India.
Apart from the towed guns, the army is in the process of buying heavy artillery in three other categories 180 wheeled and 100 tracked self-propelled guns and 145 ultra light howitzers (of 155mm/39calibre).
Slovakian firm Konstrukta and German firm Rheinmetall are competing for the wheeled self-propelled guns. For the tracked ones, the government is still framing the technical specifications that will be detailed in the global tender, said sources in the ministry.
In the ultralight category, BAE Land Systems M777 and ST Kinetics Pegasus were in the race till last year when ST Kinetics was blacklisted by Antony following a CBI report on investigations into its relations with former ordnance factory board chief Sudipto Ghosh.
In December, the ministry said ST Kinetics and six other companies were still eligible to compete for orders but pending the investigation no contract would be awarded to them.
In the race: Bofors in new avatar idrw.org
Topping the list of competitors is no prizes for guessing Bofors in a new avatar.
Also, the US government and BAE Land Systems have taken the edge over a rival Singaporean firm with the government confirming that the army was going to buy ultra-light howitzers through the Pentagons direct foreign military sales route, skirting competition.
The total artillery modernisation programme of the Indian Army could top Rs 70,000 crore over 10 years.
Sources in the defence ministry confirmed that the SWS Defence AB of Sweden, now owned by BAE Land Systems, is competing for an order of 400 towed 155mm/52 calibre howitzers.
This is the first official confirmation that the company is in the race, though its contest with Singaporean firm, ST Kinetics, was reported earlier. The defence ministrys clarification follows loud but with whispered comments from within the armed forces that an intricate defence procurement policy and defence minister A.K. Antonys promises of transparency were slowing down acquisitions.
SWS Defences FH77B05 and ST Kineticss iFH 2000 towed guns were to go into winter trials near Kargil last month.
But after ST Kinetics requested for a deferment of the trials because its gun was damaged during shipment, the tests are now put off for six months. The FH77B05 is an upgraded version of the Bofors 155mm/39 calibre guns that erupted into a scam in 1986. The guns were seen in action in the 1999 Kargil war.
In the category of towed howitzers, the army will buy 400 guns off the shelf. An additional 1,180 is to be made by the winner of the competition through technology transfer to India.
Apart from the towed guns, the army is in the process of buying heavy artillery in three other categories 180 wheeled and 100 tracked self-propelled guns and 145 ultra light howitzers (of 155mm/39calibre).
Slovakian firm Konstrukta and German firm Rheinmetall are competing for the wheeled self-propelled guns. For the tracked ones, the government is still framing the technical specifications that will be detailed in the global tender, said sources in the ministry.
In the ultralight category, BAE Land Systems M777 and ST Kinetics Pegasus were in the race till last year when ST Kinetics was blacklisted by Antony following a CBI report on investigations into its relations with former ordnance factory board chief Sudipto Ghosh.
In December, the ministry said ST Kinetics and six other companies were still eligible to compete for orders but pending the investigation no contract would be awarded to them.
In the race: Bofors in new avatar idrw.org
