New Delhi, February 17

Leading gun-maker BAE Systems today announced selection of Mahindra as its Indian partner for the around $700-million deal for the supply of 145 M777 howitzers to the Indian Army—the first new artillery guns after the Bofors scandal.The gun, with a strike range of 25 km, will form the backbone of the Mountain Strike Corps, being raised by the government for the mountainous borders with China.It is a 155mm titanium-based ultra-light howitzer (ULH) and can be airlifted by helicopters with ease to distant mountainous military posts. The gun deal will be through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS), but the “spares, maintenance and ammunition will be operated through Indian systems”, defence sources said. “BAE Systems has selected Mahindra as its business partner for the proposed in-country assembly, integration and test (AIT) facility for the M777 ultra lightweight howitzer,” BAE, a British company with a subsidiary in the US, said in a statement.The gun is owned by the US government and hence the deal has to be through an the FMS route. “India and the United States are in discussion for supply of 145 M777A2 LW155 howitzers for the Indian Army,” it said.”BAE Systems looks forward to working with Mahindra in the coming weeks to finalise details of this AIT facility and to negotiate the terms of its contractual arrangement,” the company said. Last year, BAE developed and submitted a US government-supported proposal offering a higher degree of indigenisation on the M777 weapon system. The highlight of this is the commitment to establish AIT capabilities in India in partnership with a domestic Indian firm. — PTI