Indian Army Artillery
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Old photo from some drill, 105 IFG and 81mm mortars ..
Let me ask this one Kunal - there is this story going around that only 1/2 of the 410 Bofors guns are operation. I know in 1999 we ordered spares. Is this a complete nonsense? BTW - I love that photograph of the 105mm and 81mm mortars.
From those incidents, I was once told that the total lost or non operational is around 30. Bringing back the cannibalized guns should have been feasible.
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BSF has 20 artillery regiments, Each regiment corresponds to about 18 pieces ..
Shadow
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BSF has 20 artillery regiments, Each regiment corresponds to about 18 pieces ..
Do they have M-46 along with their IFG's?
No. Total BSF 105mm gun procurement was 135 guns. It has 20 post-groups of artillery. A post group equals a battery - not a regiment. Prior to the 105mm induction they used everything from 6pdr anti-tank guns to 3.7 inch mountain howitzers to 25pdrs.
Hari Sud
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Kshatriya87
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An artillery piece is a firearm just as a rifle. It operates on exploding gases created by the propellant charges. The barrel gives the projectile it's direction. After the projectile has left the barrel, it flies to the target unguided (today there are "smart" guidable projectiles developed to be fired by guns, but that was not the case in World War 2) . The effect of the projectile in the target is created by the mass of the projectile or the explosive charge in it.
When a firearm is fired, the propellant charge creates two forces in the barrel. First, there is the force that gives the projectile it's energy to fly, and a counter force of equal size. The counter force is called recoil. The firearms are generally divided into two groups, guns with recoil (rifles, pistols, cannons, howitzers etc.) and recoilless guns (bazooka, panzerschreck etc.) .
In guns with recoil, the end of the barrel is closed, so the recoil forces it backwards. In small weapons (rifles, pistols etc.) , the recoil is usually sufficiently countered by the weight of the weapon and by supporting it (against the shoulder of the user for example) . In guns (cannons etc.) the recoil is countered by the weight of the guns and the recoil system (guns without recoil system roll several meters backwards when fired) . In recoilless guns, the pressure of the propellant gases is released backwards eliminating the effect of recoil.
The barrel of the gun is usually rifled, forcing the projectile to spin, stabilizing the projectile. Mortars have usually smooth barrels, so the mortar projectiles have tail fins that stabilize the projectile in flight.
The caliber of the gun is determined by the diameter of the barrel (inside). It's usually represented in millimeters, mm.
The length of the barrel is represented by Calibers (in other words, how many times longer is the barrel than it's diameter).
A weapon is gun (artillery piece) , if it's BIG. The minimum caliber of a gun is 20 mm, and it needs two men to operate it. The guns are divided into different groups by it's intended use (field guns, coastal guns, antiaircraft guns, antitank guns, naval guns etc.) .
The range of a gun is affected by its caliber and especially the length of the barrel. The longer the barrel is, the higher muzzle velocity is achieved. The size of the barrel is the largest single reason for the weight of the gun.
The caliber of the gun, and the length of the barrel is used to divide guns into different classes; cannons, howitzers and mortars. These classes are further divided into light, heavy and super heavy (Järeä in Finnish) pieces.
In Finland, the guns are classed as follows;
Light cannons, are guns with below 100 mm caliber and howitzers with below 150 mm caliber
Heavy cannons have a caliber of 100 mm - 122 mm, and heavy howitzers 150 mm - 200 mm
Super heavy cannons have a caliber over 150 mm and super heavy howitzers over 200 mm
Cannon
A cannon is usually a weapon, which has a barrel length of at least 20 calibers. The cannons have usually the maximum elevation of 45º, light guns before the 1930s had a usual maximum elevation of 20º. (Since 1930s, quite many light cannons had even higher elevation maximums, and today, even heavy pieces have higher elevation maximums.)
The longer barrels make the cannons heavier than howitzers, but gives them superior range (as it gives the projectile higher muzzle velocity) . The lower maximum elevation restricts their use in forested terrain, since the battery sites must be placed in the open or major wood cutting has to be done (making it easier to identify battery sites from the air) .
The cannons fire usually with a flatter trajectory than howitzers.
Howitzer
The howitzers have usually a barrel length between 12 - 20 calibers, making the howitzers lighter than cannons of the same caliber Howitzers have usually higher maximum elevations than cannons, and are more often fired with higher elevations. This makes howitzers more useful in forested, rough and hilly terrain.
Mortar
Mortars are simple artillery weapons. It includes a smooth bore barrel resting on a baseplate which in turn rests on the ground. The mortars have a barrel length under 12 calibers They fire only indirect fire in high angles, elevations ranging usually from 40º to 80º. As the barrel is smooth, the projectiles have tail fins to stabilize the flight.
The mortars are relatively light weapons as they are intended to operate on lower firing pressures than conventional artillery pieces (cannons and howitzers) and thus don't need as strong (heavy) barrels. This makes them extremely useful in rugged terrain and as infantry support weapons, as light (up to about 70 mm) and medium mortars (usually 81 or 82 mm) are man portable. The short barrel and lower firing pressure restricts the maximum ranges of mortars to much shorter than the ranges of other artillery pieces. It also makes them less accurate, but as the projectile is inserted by dropping down the barrel from the muzzle, the rate of fire is high. The simple construction of mortars makes them also relatively inexpensive compared to heavier cannons or howitzers.
Artillery projectile
The primary sources for the following sections are
- emails from Colonel Jyri Paulaharju to the author.
- "Tykistömuseon 78 tykkiä", by Unto Partanen, ISBN-951-99934-4-4
Basic definitions and general data
All artillery pieces use/fire ammunition that is called a shell (or round). The shell itself has different parts, which generally are:
The artillery projectile ( / shell / round) , that lands in the target, has many different ways to cause damage to the enemy in the target area.
The different possible damage (or effect) types are generally pressure, splinter, shock, concussion and psychological. The amount and type of the blast effect depend mostly on the shape, structure and the caliber of the projectile. The kinetic energy of the projectile (to say it simple; the higher the velocity of the projectile is at the moment of impact, the higher the kinetic energy) , the blast of the explosive filler (causing a pressure wave) , the splinters that fan out from the body of the projectile, and even the volume of sound of the blast, are all common ways in what the blast cause damage in the target.
(Note that the "side cones" visible in this picture
are in fact a part of the same cone, spraying a belt
of splinters vertically from the axis of the shell)
When a firearm is fired, the propellant charge creates two forces in the barrel. First, there is the force that gives the projectile it's energy to fly, and a counter force of equal size. The counter force is called recoil. The firearms are generally divided into two groups, guns with recoil (rifles, pistols, cannons, howitzers etc.) and recoilless guns (bazooka, panzerschreck etc.) .
In guns with recoil, the end of the barrel is closed, so the recoil forces it backwards. In small weapons (rifles, pistols etc.) , the recoil is usually sufficiently countered by the weight of the weapon and by supporting it (against the shoulder of the user for example) . In guns (cannons etc.) the recoil is countered by the weight of the guns and the recoil system (guns without recoil system roll several meters backwards when fired) . In recoilless guns, the pressure of the propellant gases is released backwards eliminating the effect of recoil.
The barrel of the gun is usually rifled, forcing the projectile to spin, stabilizing the projectile. Mortars have usually smooth barrels, so the mortar projectiles have tail fins that stabilize the projectile in flight.
The caliber of the gun is determined by the diameter of the barrel (inside). It's usually represented in millimeters, mm.
The length of the barrel is represented by Calibers (in other words, how many times longer is the barrel than it's diameter).
A weapon is gun (artillery piece) , if it's BIG. The minimum caliber of a gun is 20 mm, and it needs two men to operate it. The guns are divided into different groups by it's intended use (field guns, coastal guns, antiaircraft guns, antitank guns, naval guns etc.) .
The range of a gun is affected by its caliber and especially the length of the barrel. The longer the barrel is, the higher muzzle velocity is achieved. The size of the barrel is the largest single reason for the weight of the gun.
The caliber of the gun, and the length of the barrel is used to divide guns into different classes; cannons, howitzers and mortars. These classes are further divided into light, heavy and super heavy (Järeä in Finnish) pieces.
In Finland, the guns are classed as follows;
Light cannons, are guns with below 100 mm caliber and howitzers with below 150 mm caliber
Heavy cannons have a caliber of 100 mm - 122 mm, and heavy howitzers 150 mm - 200 mm
Super heavy cannons have a caliber over 150 mm and super heavy howitzers over 200 mm
Cannon
The longer barrels make the cannons heavier than howitzers, but gives them superior range (as it gives the projectile higher muzzle velocity) . The lower maximum elevation restricts their use in forested terrain, since the battery sites must be placed in the open or major wood cutting has to be done (making it easier to identify battery sites from the air) .
The cannons fire usually with a flatter trajectory than howitzers.
Howitzer
Mortar
The mortars are relatively light weapons as they are intended to operate on lower firing pressures than conventional artillery pieces (cannons and howitzers) and thus don't need as strong (heavy) barrels. This makes them extremely useful in rugged terrain and as infantry support weapons, as light (up to about 70 mm) and medium mortars (usually 81 or 82 mm) are man portable. The short barrel and lower firing pressure restricts the maximum ranges of mortars to much shorter than the ranges of other artillery pieces. It also makes them less accurate, but as the projectile is inserted by dropping down the barrel from the muzzle, the rate of fire is high. The simple construction of mortars makes them also relatively inexpensive compared to heavier cannons or howitzers.
Artillery projectile
The primary sources for the following sections are
- emails from Colonel Jyri Paulaharju to the author.
- "Tykistömuseon 78 tykkiä", by Unto Partanen, ISBN-951-99934-4-4
Basic definitions and general data
All artillery pieces use/fire ammunition that is called a shell (or round). The shell itself has different parts, which generally are:
- The cartridge case, which holds the propellant charge and the projectile.
All artillery shells don't have cartridge cases, instead the projectile and the propellant charge are loaded "separately", inserting first the projectile and then the propellant charge. - The projectile, which is the part of the shell that is propelled into the target (which contains the explosive charge / filler)
- The propellant charge, which propels the projectile.
The separate loading, mentioned earlier, is used generally with large caliber guns as it gives the chance to reduce muzzle velocity of the projectile by increasing or decreasing the amount of the propellant charge, thus affecting the range. - The fuse, which detonates the explosive charge (or filler) inside the projectile.
- The primer, which detonates the propellant charge
The artillery projectile ( / shell / round) , that lands in the target, has many different ways to cause damage to the enemy in the target area.
The different possible damage (or effect) types are generally pressure, splinter, shock, concussion and psychological. The amount and type of the blast effect depend mostly on the shape, structure and the caliber of the projectile. The kinetic energy of the projectile (to say it simple; the higher the velocity of the projectile is at the moment of impact, the higher the kinetic energy) , the blast of the explosive filler (causing a pressure wave) , the splinters that fan out from the body of the projectile, and even the volume of sound of the blast, are all common ways in what the blast cause damage in the target.
(Note that the "side cones" visible in this picture
are in fact a part of the same cone, spraying a belt
of splinters vertically from the axis of the shell)
Kshatriya87
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Projectile fragmentation
In general, when the explosive filler blow up, the detonating wave converts the explosive filler to gases which in turn exerts extremely high pressure on the inner surface of the projectile. The projectile expands until the critical stress for failure is reached. As the projectile breaks apart, the shear and cleavage sends fragments/splinters flying with high velocity in (roughly) three separate fans. This is called fragmentation effect. These fans or cones are the "forward cone", the "side cone" and the "base spray" (backwards). The aperture of these cones, and the amount of the splinters in them, depend mostly on the shape of the projectile (the body of the projectile), and the shape of the explosive filler inside the projectile. The direction of the splinters are affected by the velocity and the speed of rotation at the moment when the projectile explodes.
Usually the majority of the splinters are in the side cone (roughly 80 % of the splinters) , and with the shells fired by cannons and howitzers, which have cylindrical projectiles, the aperture of the cone is usually between 40 - 50 degrees. The shells fired by mortars, are usually drop-shaped, giving the side cone an aperture of over 50 degrees.
The forward cone and the base spray usually amount some 20 % of the fragments released by the shell. The forward cone has usually more fragments than the base spray.
The reason for this uneven distribution of fragments, is in the shape of the projectile. The ogive (forward tip of the projectile) , and the rear end of the projectile don't splinter like the sides do. The splinters in the side cone are also smaller than the splinters in the forward cone and in the base spray.
Fragmentation directions
Shallow angle
(relatively flat trajectory,
usually fired by cannons and/or
howitzer)
Steep angle
(mortar, and in some cases a howitzer)
Side view
Side view
Top view
Top view
These simple drawings show the basic splinter directions.
Note that a large part of the splinters, fanning out from a low trajectory shell,
fly up into the air, while the mortar shell, usually coming in
from a considerably higher angle, has a better angle of spreading the splinters around.
The crater
Generally speaking, the blast of the artillery projectile creates a crater (or a shell hole) , if it penetrates the soil, and explodes underneath the surface at an optimum depth. The blast throws up soil high into the air, from which a part scatters around the point of impact, while a part falls back into the crater and to the edges of the crater creating a small embankment surrounding the hole. The maximum depth, where this type of a crater will be formed is roughly 10 times the caliber, which is usually also the radius of the blast.
Of course, the soil is also a factor. It's obvious that the resulting crater in soft sand in different than it is in a hard and rocky terrain.
In general, when the explosive filler blow up, the detonating wave converts the explosive filler to gases which in turn exerts extremely high pressure on the inner surface of the projectile. The projectile expands until the critical stress for failure is reached. As the projectile breaks apart, the shear and cleavage sends fragments/splinters flying with high velocity in (roughly) three separate fans. This is called fragmentation effect. These fans or cones are the "forward cone", the "side cone" and the "base spray" (backwards). The aperture of these cones, and the amount of the splinters in them, depend mostly on the shape of the projectile (the body of the projectile), and the shape of the explosive filler inside the projectile. The direction of the splinters are affected by the velocity and the speed of rotation at the moment when the projectile explodes.
Usually the majority of the splinters are in the side cone (roughly 80 % of the splinters) , and with the shells fired by cannons and howitzers, which have cylindrical projectiles, the aperture of the cone is usually between 40 - 50 degrees. The shells fired by mortars, are usually drop-shaped, giving the side cone an aperture of over 50 degrees.
The forward cone and the base spray usually amount some 20 % of the fragments released by the shell. The forward cone has usually more fragments than the base spray.
The reason for this uneven distribution of fragments, is in the shape of the projectile. The ogive (forward tip of the projectile) , and the rear end of the projectile don't splinter like the sides do. The splinters in the side cone are also smaller than the splinters in the forward cone and in the base spray.
Fragmentation directions
Shallow angle
(relatively flat trajectory,
usually fired by cannons and/or
howitzer)
Steep angle
(mortar, and in some cases a howitzer)
Side view
Side view
Top view
Top view
These simple drawings show the basic splinter directions.
Note that a large part of the splinters, fanning out from a low trajectory shell,
fly up into the air, while the mortar shell, usually coming in
from a considerably higher angle, has a better angle of spreading the splinters around.
The crater
Generally speaking, the blast of the artillery projectile creates a crater (or a shell hole) , if it penetrates the soil, and explodes underneath the surface at an optimum depth. The blast throws up soil high into the air, from which a part scatters around the point of impact, while a part falls back into the crater and to the edges of the crater creating a small embankment surrounding the hole. The maximum depth, where this type of a crater will be formed is roughly 10 times the caliber, which is usually also the radius of the blast.
Of course, the soil is also a factor. It's obvious that the resulting crater in soft sand in different than it is in a hard and rocky terrain.
Kshatriya87
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Fragmentation ranges and crate sizes caused by different caliber rounds
(The drawings and figures are based on data supplied by Col. Jyri Paulaharju to the author.)
The crater sizes and fragmentation ranges, shown below, are meant to be only general examples of crater sizes and fragmentation ranges, when the ground is common dirt soil. There are large differences between different shell types and different calibers, in both fragmentation range and crater size. Note that the fragmentation effect/ranges are shorter in deep snow. This was especially the case with small caliber guns (75 & 76 mm) reducing their effectiveness considerably. Also, as the ground was frozen, the projectiles didn't penetrate the ground deep enough to blast as large craters as are shown below.
The x- and y-axis have small marks each representing one meter each. I've also added a dot into it to represent the size of the shell hole.
(Note that the smaller dot is the crater of the 107 mm shell,
while the bigger is the crater of the 122 mm shell)
Effect of artillery
against "soft" (infantry) targets in a 100 m x 100 m area
(Chart and data, courtesy of Col. Jyri Paulaharju)
[ This diagram is based on Finnish wartime experience, and is more of a theoretical graph of artillery effectiveness than a graph which could be applied automatically to every situation. The graph is based on the assumption that the point of impact is centered in the target area, and the area is covered with an optimum pattern. This of course rarely (if ever) happens in real life. So the purpose of the graph is perhaps more to illustrate the impact that an accurate barrage(s) has on infantry. ]
Graph # 1 - the estimated casualties against unprotected infantry in prone positions (i.e. not in trenches)
Graph # 2 - the estimated casualties against infantry in entrenched positions, if the defensive works (nests, earth & soil bunker etc.) are 6 m² in size and a direct hit or a near miss destroys it, or if the straight sections of the trench are some 4 m in length.
Also, this graph doesn't apply to Soviet artillery, as it used a different firing technique, and had a lower density of grenades in the target hectare.
http://www.winterwar.com/Weapons/artyinfo.htm
(The drawings and figures are based on data supplied by Col. Jyri Paulaharju to the author.)
The crater sizes and fragmentation ranges, shown below, are meant to be only general examples of crater sizes and fragmentation ranges, when the ground is common dirt soil. There are large differences between different shell types and different calibers, in both fragmentation range and crater size. Note that the fragmentation effect/ranges are shorter in deep snow. This was especially the case with small caliber guns (75 & 76 mm) reducing their effectiveness considerably. Also, as the ground was frozen, the projectiles didn't penetrate the ground deep enough to blast as large craters as are shown below.
The x- and y-axis have small marks each representing one meter each. I've also added a dot into it to represent the size of the shell hole.
(Note that the smaller dot is the crater of the 107 mm shell,
while the bigger is the crater of the 122 mm shell)
Effect of artillery
against "soft" (infantry) targets in a 100 m x 100 m area
(Chart and data, courtesy of Col. Jyri Paulaharju)
[ This diagram is based on Finnish wartime experience, and is more of a theoretical graph of artillery effectiveness than a graph which could be applied automatically to every situation. The graph is based on the assumption that the point of impact is centered in the target area, and the area is covered with an optimum pattern. This of course rarely (if ever) happens in real life. So the purpose of the graph is perhaps more to illustrate the impact that an accurate barrage(s) has on infantry. ]
Graph # 1 - the estimated casualties against unprotected infantry in prone positions (i.e. not in trenches)
Graph # 2 - the estimated casualties against infantry in entrenched positions, if the defensive works (nests, earth & soil bunker etc.) are 6 m² in size and a direct hit or a near miss destroys it, or if the straight sections of the trench are some 4 m in length.
- An enemy that suffers casualties ranging from 0 - 20 % is considered to be "harassed"
- An enemy that suffers casualties ranging from 20 - 50 % is considered to be "suppressed"
(As a further note Finnish experience showed that even 17 % casualties are enough to efficiently suppress the enemy.) - An enemy that suffers casualties over 50 % is considered to be "destroyed" (Meaning that the enemy unit(s) has lost it's ability to operate efficiently. This can vary depending on training and psychological reasons.)
Also, this graph doesn't apply to Soviet artillery, as it used a different firing technique, and had a lower density of grenades in the target hectare.
http://www.winterwar.com/Weapons/artyinfo.htm
Why do you say so? Rapidly moving heavy BSF artillery can harass the enemy, keep it busy, and even pulverize some of it s sections if used effectively.
Kshatriya87
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Nexter, L&T and Ashok Leyland team up for Indian Army's MGS Artillery Programme
By Gulshan Luthra Published : June 2014
New Delhi. Nexter Systems, the French land weapons maker, has signed a “consortium agreement” with India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Ashok Leyland Defence to collaborate in manufacturing the Mounted Gun System (MGS) artillery programme of the Indian Army.
The three companies announced the agreement in a joint press statement on the final day of the five-day Eurosatory land and air defence systems exhibition which ended in Villepinte on June 20 on the outskirts of Paris.
Details were not furnished but sources at the event told India Strategic that the three companies have been in talks for some time and that they would more than match the Indian requirements even if they are revised under the new Government. “There has been some real work done to customize and integrate their respective systems.”
The terms of their collaboration in monetary values are apparently not disclosed but the deal for mounted guns should be in billions of dollars. The tender value though should be known officially once the commercial bids are opened after technical trials and the winner in the competition is announced.
Acute Shortage of Artillery Guns
Notably, the Indian Army suffers from an acute shortage of artillery systems as their acquisition was stopped by the then Prime Minister VP Singh who alleged in his political campaigns that the Swedish FH 77-B Bofors guns acquired during his predecessor’s government in mid-1980s were “of poor quality, fired backwards, and killed own troops” and that they were purchased as the Swedes paid bribes.
The old gun has turned out to be the best yet, and performed outstandingly well in the 1999 Kargil War to saturate positions occupied by the infiltrating Pakistani troops in the Indian territory. The gun was taken to mountain heights in pieces by helicopters and assembled there.
The acquisition of the 155 mm 39 caliber Bofors towed guns in fact came along with a very sweet Transfer of Technology (TOT) package but the deal got such a bad name that neither any one in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) nor any one in the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), which was given the drawings, dared to indigenize the programme for a quarter century despite the Army crying hoarse about the shortage of artillery weapons.
The Army has had zero acquisition of modern artillery systems ever since, and today, there is a cumulative requirement for 2820 artillery pieces in Towed, Mounted, Self Propelled (Tracked and Wheeled) and Ultra Light guns.
Ever since early 1970s, the mainstay of the Indian Artillery has been the Soviet-supplied M 46 130mm medium gun, which was used in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Israel’s Soltam upgraded 180 of these guns, and as a stopgap measure, the Army is looking at modernizing another 300 of these guns. Various Indian companies, including L&T, are in the fray for this venture, but this would continue to be a stopgap – a very long stopgap – measure till the government of the day takes the initiative to clear or refresh the proposals literally on war-footing.
Indigenizing Old Bofors
Official sources indicate that Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Indian MoD’s defence research arm, is now supporting the OFB. Over the past couple of years, OFB has dug out the Bofors drawings and manuals and based on the understanding of technology from them, it has developed a 155 mm 45 caliber gun, designated Dhanush (bow in Hindi). The system is being tested by the Army in both winter and summer terrains.
Winter trials of the Dhanush in fact are already over. Nonetheless, as and when this gun is successful and inducted, this would still be another stopgap acquisition.
There are a couple of other companies also, Tatas, Punj Lloyd and Bharat Forge in the private sector, that are working on supplying artillery systems to the Army. Each one has picked up a foreign partner for technology transfer.
Contemporary Requirements
The Indian Army now needs contemporary standards 155 mm-52 caliber Towed, Self-Propelled and Mounted guns as also Ultra Light Weight howitzers (155mm-39 caliber) which can be ferried under-slung by (Chinook) heavy lift helicopters that the Indian Air Force (IAF) is buying. There is competition in all the segments, For the Ultra Light requirement however, India is in talks with the US Government to buy 145 BAE Systems M777 guns in a government-to-government deal under Washington’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.
But this proposal is also going on and on for several years. The US Government had notified and held the price at USD 647 million for 145 guns, but last year revised it to $ 885 million for any one - US Army included - buying the same number of guns. India though happens to be the only country interested in these howitzers at the moment.
BAE Systems at one time also mentioned a price of $ 694 million.
It is to be seen if the price line for India is $ 647 million, as the negotiations were initiated earlier, or more. There has been no engagement between the two governments for about eight or nine months, and the actual price for India can be ascertained only if the talks reopen. There is perhaps a little fog, and MoD sources say that the revised price, if applied for India, makes the deal difficult to digest financially.
Notably, MoD's apex Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had cleared the gun for acquisition in 2012, and on the eve of the Army Day 2013, Chief of Staff Gen Bikram Singh had told this writer that he expected the first lot of the guns to reach India by end of the year. In terms of perspective, the Army had accorded approved after testing the M777 extensively in desert and high altitude trials in Pokharan and Sikkim in 2010.
As for FMS pricing, the US Government charges what it pays to the vendor - the manufacturer - plus a fee of 2.5 to 5 per cent to help execute the deal. It also gives guarantees of the quality of the equipment and timely deliveries. There has been standstill nonetheless after Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which manages FMS programme, announced the revised price. It is also to be noted that the price set thus is the maximum possible - a cap actually - to initiate the negotiations but can be lower depending upon the requirements, associated equipment and timelines.
It may also be noted that the only other gun in competition was Pegasus from Singapore Technologies Kinetics but this company was blacklisted after some allegations of wrongdoing. The choice with the Indian Government now is either to go ahead with the BAE Systems deal or refresh the competition for decisive action within a time-bound period.
It may be recalled that the Swedish Bofors was acquired by the US United Defense in the late 1990s, and then by the US arm of the British BAE Systems. Significantly, while the Swedes were ready for TOT, the BAE Systems is unlikely to accede to such a proposal.
President Bill Clinton’s Intervention
Also, what is not known generally is that as the Indian Army continued to be in talks with Bofors for buying more guns, US President Bill Clinton went out of the way to allow United Defence in 2000 to sell the guns to India if the deal – under discussions before Bofors’ sale to United Defense – fructified. There was otherwise a ban on selling US weapons to India after New Delhi's 1998 nuclear tests and the resulting US and West's technology denial regime.
President Clinton's intervention was disclosed to this writer by the then Managing Director of Bofors at a defence show in Abu Dhabi, UAE in February 2000.
As for the Nexter-L&T-Ashok Leyland artillery system proposed for the MGS programme, the consortium is led by L&T acting as the prime contractor. The partnership among the three companies is based on delivering the best solution and value to the Indian Army. The customization of the systems to fulfill specific Indian requirements will be done in cooperation between the three companies, it was stated in the press statement.
The gun is a version of the well-known Caesar artillery system that has been tested successfully in Afghanistan, and is fitted onto a 6x6 Super Stallion chassis from Ashok Leyland.
Unveiled for the first time at the DEFEXPO show in New Delhi in February 2014, the Indian version of the CAESAR® was on display again at the Nexter stand in Paris.
Nexter and L&T are collaborating in meeting other artillery requirements also, including for a new Towed Gun System and the up-gunning of the Soviet-vintage 130 mm M 46.
Notably, to reduce costs and introduce some indigenous elements, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is encouraging Indian participation. It is in this perspective, that Ashok Leyland has developed heavy vehicles, which could be used for a number of utility purposes to base or move heavy equipment. The company is trying to build a replacement for the Czeck Tatra vehicles that the Indian armed forces have been using for missiles, radars and other heavy equipment.
The Super stallion truck is available in two versions, 6 x 6 and 8 x 8, the latter for heavy missile and radar deployment.
Incidentally, I may mention here that a senior officer in the MoD had mooted a proposal some time in the 1990s to acqure the Czeck Tatra company as it was selling rather cheap after the disintegration of the Soviet Union which had affected the economy of the eastern block states. Needless to say, the top leadersip of the ministry failed to appreciate the advantages of a strategic foreign acquisition.
Nexter and L&T are also teaming for the Towed Gun System programme of the Indian ministry of defence, by proposing the TRAJAN® which is under evaluation in India.
Collaborating with them is also the French company Sagem Défense Sécurité, whose Sigma 30 Intertial Guidance System enables the gun a high degree of precision in autonomous firing. Caeser, or CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie), can fire six rounds in a minute and scoot away from the firing site in about two minutes to evade counter-fire.
Nexter and Sagem are supplying some systems to HAL for the Dhruv Advanced Light Helicoper (ALH) as well. The 20 mm gun on its armed version Rudra for the Indian Army and IAF is supplied by Nexter. Another variant, the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) being built with composite materials for IAF is also using the same canon - or gun - in trials.
ALH and its variants are largely based on French technology. LCH is still under development.
About Nexter
Nexter applies its expertise in land defence systems to meet the needs of the French army and other forces internationally. The scope of its business includes the supply of armoured vehicles, weapons systems and munitions for Army, Air Force, Navy and law enforcement applications. In 2013, Nexter reported revenue of € 787 million, of which 18% were allocated to Research & Development. The range of products offered by Nexter includes: CAESAR® the highly mobile 155mm self-propelled gun, TRAJAN® the powerful 155 mm towed gun, 105LG lightweight towed gun, Leclerc battle tank, VBCI Infantry combat vehicle, ARAVIS® highly protected armoured vehicle, BONUS intelligent munitions and FINDERS® C2 command system, all backed up by customer service, support and recycling.
About L&T
Larsen & Toubro is a USD 14.3 billion technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services conglomerate, with global operations. Its products and systems are marketed in over 30 countries worldwide. L&T is one of the largest and most respected companies in India's private sector. A strong, customer–focused approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business over seven decades.
About Ashok Leyland Defence
Ashok Leyland for over six decades has been in the business of moving people and goods across 50 countries worldwide and is one of the largest commercial vehicle manufacturers in India. 70 million passengers travel on Ashok Leyland buses every day; close to 700,000 of their vehicles keep the wheels of economies turning and, with close to 70,000 STALLION vehicles in use, they are also the largest supplier of logistics vehicles to the Indian Army. Ashok Leyland Defence Systems (ALDS), is a company meant specifically to address the diverse and different requirements for specialist vehicles meant only for the defence forces and homeland security agencies.
