India, US move ahead with M777 deal

[Bilal Khan 777]

Khan ... you are pinging me after around a year later...Now news changed again....India cleared the purchase of 145 Ultra Light Howitzers at a cost of around $750 million from US, as well as bulk production of home-grown 18 Dhanush artillery guns and several other defense deals....But I believe number is going to increase from 145 +

More Information you can find in here...

http://www.defensenews.com/story/de...clears-ultra-light-howitzers-buy-us/86374380/

Yes, because I would like you to check if the LOA has been signed. And if it is not signed, why is the delay? Please don't send news articles.

 

[wiseone2]

russia will be again mad now

russians never had 155mm howitzer in their arsenal
i never understood why

 

[dani958]

buy this

 

[RangeHunter]

AFAIK this deal was signed months back.

buy this

We already have a similar weapons system if not the same one.
I suppose we have an indigenous one. I'm not sure about the projectile of that one.

It's the 155mm Dhanush gun.

 

[dani958]

so why are you buying?

so why are you buying?

700 milion that can go to your industory

 

[Abingdonboy]

Yes, because I would like you to check if the LOA has been signed. And if it is not signed, why is the delay? Please don't send news articles.

I've explained this to you in the other thread a few days back. The deal will be signed shortly, the contract has evolved from 145 off the shelf to 645 with local manufacture and through life support. As such the original LOA is entirely redundant and new terms are. With g worked out for a commercial deal to be signed shortly.

As it stands the IA will receive 2-3 M777 from the shelf in 2017 for training purposes.

 

[dani958]

i dont think you need to buy you have your local one

 

[RangeHunter]

i dont think you need to buy you have your local one

Dhanush is undergoing final trials and the expected first order is 114 guns but the M777 is an established and successful gun so I think we are buying that too.
The total requirements for 155mm guns is 414 as quoted by today's TOI.

 

[Adhiri]

i dont think you need to buy you have your local one

We do not have anything local that is lightweight and proven in battle.

 

[A_Poster]

so why are you buying?


700 milion that can go to your industory

This is lightweight mountain artillery. Only Singapore and USA manufacture this class of artillery.

 

[Bilal Khan 777]

I've explained this to you in the other thread a few days back. The deal will be signed shortly, the contract has evolved from 145 off the shelf to 645 with local manufacture and through life support. As such the original LOA is entirely redundant and new terms are. With g worked out for a commercial deal to be signed shortly.

As it stands the IA will receive 2-3 M777 from the shelf in 2017 for training purposes.

You are wrong. The original LOA has the onset program that satisfies the Make in India protocol. India is yet to accept. The LOA is on final extension. The deal for additional guns is a follow-up, and has nothing to do with existing LOA which is FMS. Instead of explaining things to me which I understand much better than you do, please tell me if you have any real information. Why is the LOA not signed, and what is the real reason?

Dhanush is undergoing final trials and the expected first order is 114 guns but the M777 is an established and successful gun so I think we are buying that too.
The total requirements for 155mm guns is 414 as quoted by today's TOI.

Is the progress in the local weapon, and its lower price, the main hindrance of M777?

 

[surya kiran]

Is the progress in the local weapon, and its lower price, the main hindrance of M777?

Dhanush and M777 are very different. The local equivalent to the M777 is the one made by Bharat Forge, not Dhanush. That gun is still under development and has not been field tested yet. Let alone production. Now, there is a possibility, that for quick procurement we buy the M777 through the FMS route and procure guns from Bharat Forge also.

Coming to the point of your LoA. The reply from the GoI could be sent only after DAC approval. This approval has now been received. Which means either it has been sent or will be sent and the process for the first payment will start. This is my basic understanding of the process. @PARIKRAMA can correct it, in case I am mistaken.

 

[Trying to be honest]

I guess the delay is more related to the delay in setting up the mountain strike corps. This equipment is supposed to be for that specific unit and since budget allocation for setting that unit has not been done yet, there seems to no hurry to start buying equipment for that unit.

 

[Bilal Khan 777]

I guess the delay is more related to the delay in setting up the mountain strike corps. This equipment is supposed to be for that specific unit and since budget allocation for setting that unit has not been done yet, there seems to no hurry to start buying equipment for that unit.

So the deal is stalled?

Dhanush and M777 are very different. The local equivalent to the M777 is the one made by Bharat Forge, not Dhanush. That gun is still under development and has not been field tested yet. Let alone production. Now, there is a possibility, that for quick procurement we buy the M777 through the FMS route and procure guns from Bharat Forge also.

Coming to the point of your LoA. The reply from the GoI could be sent only after DAC approval. This approval has now been received. Which means either it has been sent or will be sent and the process for the first payment will start. This is my basic understanding of the process. @PARIKRAMA can correct it, in case I am mistaken.

The process is DAC approval, then LOA, and then response to LOA, which is acceptance. However, no acceptance has been given on expiry, and LOA is on extension. It seems that it headed for non-acceptance again. However, in the current situation, India may just be pushed to accept it instead of opting for indigenous developed by Bharat Forge, a gun which is half the price, and supportable in the long run.

 

[surya kiran]

The process is DAC approval, then LOA, and then response to LOA, which is acceptance. However, no acceptance has been given on expiry, and LOA is on extension. It seems that it headed for non-acceptance again. However, in the current situation, India may just be pushed to accept it instead of opting for indigenous developed by Bharat Forge, a gun which is half the price, and supportable in the long run.

Yes you are correct. There was a request letter sent by the GoI. The US government responded with a draft letter of Acceptance. This was accepted in the DAC and the monies cleared for the deal. Now, this would need a release of payment which was to be done now. It was mentioned that both the LoA and payment release will happen this year.

The M777 coming in is a given. The Bharat Forge gun has to go through trials. But, it will be bought too. They needed the army trial ground for the same and that has been provided now, is what I last heard. The Kalyani group, which own Bharat Forge, is quite massive and influential. Not to mention they are the best in India for metallurgy. So, I will not be surprised if you see both the M777 and the ultra light from Bharat Forge coming in.