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Since India is trying to maximize the use of its defence budget before the end of this fiscal year, The Indian Army will soon acquire 145 ultra-light howitzers from the US. The Indian Defence Acquisitions Committee (DAC) has taken a decision to pursue the foreign military sales (FMS) route and the deal is expected to be to the tune of $647 million.
As for the US Pentagon, the possible sale of 145 state-of-the-art lightweight towed Howitzers to India has been notified to the US Congress. For the US, this proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and enhance the US-India strategic relationship. India intends to use the howitzers to modernise its armed forces and enhance its ability to operate in hazardous conditions.
The Indian Army will get the M777 145 ultra-light howitzers, whose main contractors will be US-based BAE of Hattiesburg and Mississippi. This procurement will be part of the first phase of the field artillery rationalisation plan. This plan is part of the programme to upgrade Indian Army’s artillery divisions. The Indian Army aims to buy 145 ultra-light howitzers, 158 towed and wheeled, 100 tracked, and 180 wheeled and armoured guns as a part of this entire phase of the plan.
According to BAE officials, M777 is, by some considerable margin, the lightest 155 mm howitzer in the world and the only system proven in battle. The M777 meets the requirement for the Indian Army’s Ultra Lightweight howitzer programme and the only one in full production. A significant amount of work share would be completed in India by the Mahindra and BAE Systems joint venture Company, officials added.
In the beginning, there was another ultra-light howitzer in competition for the Indian Army’s artillery modernisation programme which was the ‘Pegasus’ by Singapore-based ST Kinetics. Since ST Kinetics was blacklisted last year, the DAC decided to go the FMS route which is a US programme of government-to-government sales of military hardware, avoiding delays of competitive bidding.
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