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India is all set to initiate the long-awaited $4 billion artillery modernisation programme and will shortly float a global tender for the acquisition of 814 motorised howitzers.
The Artillery modernisation programme aims to induct roughly 2,814 guns of different types.
Defence Ministry sources said that the project has been granted approval by the Defence Acquisitions Council which is chaired by Defence Minister A K Antony and the Request for Proposal will be issued.
The artillery modernization includes off-the-shelf purchase of 200 155mm/52-calibre mounted gun systems from overseas, which will be followed by indigenous manufacture of another 614 such howitzers under transfer of technology.
The 17-tonne motorized howitzers will arm 40 regiments.
Another major project includes the purchase of 100 155mm/52-calibre self-propelled tracked guns for five artillery regiments and its field trials are slated for May-June 2010.
India is also looking to finalize the Rs 8,000 crore project to buy 400 155mm/52-calibre towed artillery guns, which is to be followed by indigenous manufacture of another 1,180 howitzers.
The contenders are BAE Systems, ST Kinetics of Singapore and Israeli Soltam.
Another project was to acquire 140 air-mobile ultra-light howitzers (ULHs) for Rs 2,900 crore. This is being eagerly awaited since the Indian Army needs ULHs to ensure artillery can be deployed in remote inaccessible areas.
India’s artillery modernization has been plagued with scandals and delays for decades.
No new artillery gun has been inducted ever since the infamous Rs 1,437 crore Bofors contract for 410 field howitzers became a major scandal in 1986.
After that, a series of other delays including more dubious defence scams have kept India from modernizaing its artillery.
Lately, ST Kinetics has also come under the scanner for corruption charges.
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