First time since Bofors, India gets 2 Howitzer artillery guns from US
The 2 howitzers are part of India's 145-gun order from the US according to a deal which cost India USD 700 million.
New Delhi: The Indian Army on Thursday received two Howitzer M-777s, artillery guns with a maximum range of 30 km, from the United States.
The guns would be used to enhance defence system in high-altitude areas in eastern border against China.
According to a report, this is the first time in three decades, since the Bofors scandal that the Indian army has received howitzers.
The two howitzers are part of India’s 145-gun order from the US according to a deal which cost India Rs 5000 crore.
According to the report, the acquisition of the first two howitzers is part of Indian Army’s Rs 22,000-crore modernisation plan, under which it will acquire five different types of artillery guns.
"We continue to support the US government in integrating its weapon systems with the Indian Army's artillery modernisation programme," the report quoted an official of the company as saying.
The BAE Systems, which manufactures the M-777 ultra-light howitzer guns, will deliver 25 of the 145 to India, while the rest will be assembled here by Mahindra.