Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 29

India will finally exorcise the ‘Bofors ghost’ and formally induct its first artillery guns in three decades.

Two types of guns are to be inducted at a ceremony at Deolali, Maharasthra, on November 9. Deolali is the location of Indian Army’s artillery training school. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to be present.

India had not inducted any new 155 MM artillery guns since March 1986 when 410 pieces of the Swedish company Bofors’ FH-77B 155mm/39 calibre howitzer were purchased for Rs 1,437 crore.

The first gun to be inducted is the 155 MM (same as Bofors) M777 ultra-light howitzer (145 guns) produced by the BAE systems for $737 million. This is through the foreign military sales (FMS) route from the US. Five of these guns have arrived. From June next year starts the next batch arrives and then on in phases. The induction rate is expected to be five guns per month till complete consignment is received by mid 2021.

Made of titanium, each gun weighs 4,000 kg making its transportable by CH-47 Chinook helicopters, C-17 Globemaster and the C-130 Hercules aircraft or on trucks with ease to provide increased mobility in the mountains.

The second is the self-propelled tracked gun Vajra K-9-T costing nearly Rs 4,500 crore. Ten pieces of the 155 MM guns are available now. It will have up to 50 percent local content under a joint venture between Larsen and Tourbo and South Korea’s Hanwha Techwin.

Firepower 

• The first gun to be inducted is the 155 MM (same as Bofors) M777 ultra-light howitzer (145 guns) produced by the BAE systems for $737 million
• Five of these guns have arrived. The next batch comes in June. The induction rate is expected to be five guns per month till complete consignment is received by mid-2021