M777 Guns Would Cost Indians Little More

Kunal Biswas

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'To Restart The ULH M-777 Production Line Would Cost India More'



The ULH M-777 held up now for sometime, would cost a little more if the production line has to be restarted, Alan Garwood, Group Business Development Director, told Chindits recently at a BAE cocktails.

I had reported last October abut the production line being suspended . But Defence Minister AK Antony said in Parliament last month that , ''Indian Govt Has Not Held Up Purchase Of M-777 ULH Artillery Guns',

As of no movement on the deal, but BAE is hopeful.
Source : Chindits: 'To Restart The ULH M-777 Production Line Would Cost India More'

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Related :

M-777 ULH Production Line Suspended, 200 Workers Lose Jobs, Non-Communication From Indian MoD !!

The production line of the BAE Systems' M-777 ULH has been suspended in the UK, with approximately 200 workers becoming jobless, due to the non-communication from the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on the 209 million dollar deal for the 145 guns for the Indian army, for their artillery modernisation programme.. Dean McCumisky-Managing Director &; Chief Executive-India, just said at the BAE cocktails, that the last communication recieved from MoD was a month ago, where BAE was asked about some changes and revisions in the offset programme, (there are 30% offsets here) which was replied to by BAE within 48 hours. After that BAE has not heard anything. The commercial bid expired on October 15, 2013.

The deal is govt-to-govt (FMS) totally. BAE has apparently spent approximately 50 millions in the past year to keep the line afloat, whose sole customer was India.
Source : Chindits: M-777 ULH Production Line Suspended, 200 Workers Lose Jobs, Non-Communication From Indian MoD !!
 

hitesh

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'To Restart The ULH M-777 Production Line Would Cost India More'





Source : Chindits: 'To Restart The ULH M-777 Production Line Would Cost India More'

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==================================

Related :

M-777 ULH Production Line Suspended, 200 Workers Lose Jobs, Non-Communication From Indian MoD !!



Source : Chindits: M-777 ULH Production Line Suspended, 200 Workers Lose Jobs, Non-Communication From Indian MoD !!
Can't we buy the blueprints for design as the system is no longer in production they can at least sell the design blueprints and after sitting over them for few years we can later come up with our own desi M777 as we did with dhanush .
 

Kunal Biswas

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I think its high time to look elsewhere besides BAE, One solution can be from Kalyani Co ..

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System and Specs ==>>




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Interview =======>>

'In two years, we have a field gun ready; it costs $2 million'



Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director, Kalyani Group

Baba Kalyani on challenges the Group faced building an indigenous field gun
Chennai, March 12:

During the Kargil War, "a senior Defence Ministry official barged into my office in Pune asking us to immediately produce ammunition for Bofors guns. We made over 100,000 shells. There was no tender, no RFQ, no nothing," Kalyani Group Chairman Baba Kalyani recalled in an interview to Business Line.

Now, the $2.5-billion group is ready with a home-built field gun costing $2 million and wants to prove that the "Made in India" label is the best. Excerpts:

You have built an indigenous field gun. What's the cost and what opportunities do you see in defence manufacture?

Two years ago, we decided to be in land systems, including artillery, infantry, armoured vehicles, ammunition, rockets and allied stuff, and a little electronics, now integral to defence systems. We passionately set up a programme that we call the Indian gun programme. I challenged Colonel Bhatia, who heads our defence business, that let's build an Indian gun. There's a belief that Indian companies aren't capable of this and we want to prove them wrong, as we did in components. In two years, we have a gun ready; it costs $2 million.

How competitive is this compared to imported guns?

It would be much more expensive if we import. We are far more competitive.

Have you got any orders from the defence establishment?

Not yet. We did this due to our automotive background where people keep designing new product components, unveil them and then develop a market.

What kind of gun have you made?

We've made two products; one is a 155 mm 52-calibre gun, with self-propelling and towing capability. This is a field gun, the mainstay of the Indian army like the Bofors guns. Our gun is similar but of a longer range. That was 39 calibre, this is 52; the calibre denotes the length of the barrel and the range.

We've also built an ultra-light howitzer gun, weighing around 900 kg; normal guns weigh around three tonnes. The technology of soft recall is from the US but we've built the whole gun in Pune, right from the special steel, forging in our plants and so on.

This gun has the advantage of much more mobility and can be mounted on a small truck, or lifted in a helicopter and put at the front on the mountains. The government is importing from the US 150 ultra-light Howitzers at a cost of $600 to $700 million. Ours has a smaller calibre, but by next year, we'll also have a 155 mm gun at a substantially lower cost.

Who are your competitors?

Nobody, except for the Ordnance Factory. But the competition will be from outside — France, Israel. This wasn't against a tender, but to show an Indian capability. There is a feeling within our system that defence equipment can't be made here and should be imported. I wanted to break this myth, so we spent our money and made a product to prove we have capability in this country, so don't just brush us aside.

What kind of business potential do you see for this?

From quotations we know the Indian army now needs about 1,500 to 2,000 guns. Their existing weapons platform – the Bofors guns bought in 1984 – is obsolete and needs replacement. India is the second biggest defence procurer in the world after the US. The European market is shrinking. With our current fiscal situation and the weaker rupee, if a home grown quality product is available at a competitive price, why would you import?

But some Indian businesses do tend to cut corners and compromise on quality.

Not everybody, or else our company wouldn't be supplying to Mercedes Benz, Audi and BMW. But the media doesn't write about manufacturing because it's not glamorous!

(This article was published on March 12, 2014)
'In two years, we have a field gun ready; it costs $2 million' | Business Line

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imho, Its logical to pump money & resource to whom have ability to provide the needed hardware, Kalyani Co deserves it ..


Can't we buy the blueprints for design as the system is no longer in production they can at least sell the design blueprints and after sitting over them for few years we can later come up with our own desi M777 as we did with dhanush .
 

laughingbuddha

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Buy the Kalyani ULH or remove ban from ST Kinetics :notbad:
The Kalyani ULH is an attractive option and should be pursued. So too their 155/52 self propelled and towed guns. They'll make their own ammo too so another plus.
The ST Kinetics is on the heavier side.

One only hopes for a competent DM in the new govt.
 

Patriot

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Price of M777 gun is obscenely high. We should not pursue this deal. If at all, we need to then MOD should propose BAE to either sell the production line or set up the same in India as offset.

In order to emphasize the indigenous development of guns by pvt players the very first thing to do is MOD must arrange a test range for them because people like kalyani and Tata SED can not test their guns in India.

My personal opinion, now all Indian pvt. Defence Entities should work under DRDO umbrella for the speedy and focussed R&D. It is high time public defence entities must divest some control to Indian pvt defense entities for more structured and comprehensive approach.
 

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