India is all set to enhance its military might by inducting the ultra light howitzer M777, procured from the United States Government under its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.
Out of the 145 guns ordered, two will be delivered to India on Friday, ahead of schedule, and the remaining will take another five to six months. Only 25 guns will be delivered by the U.S., with the remaining 120 will be assembled by Mahindra Defence under the government’s ‘Make in India’ programme.
The Centre sealed the deal with the U.S. government on November 17 last year which is worth Rs. 4,700 crore.
The artillery guns, manufactured by BAE systems, have a range of 30 kilometers and will help bolster the Indian Army’s artillery capabilities, especially against China in the eastern front and in out-of-area contingencies. It will be deployed in the mountainous regions in the eastern border with China.
This deal is the first since the Bofors scandal broke out in the 1980s.