Indian Army Artillery

[Anshu Attri]

First time after Bofors, Indian Army may procure howitzer gun


http://www.brahmand.com/news/First-time-after-Bofors-Indian-Army-may-procure-howitzer-gun/6059/1/10.html

NEW DELHI (PTI): The ghost of Bofors haunting the Defence Ministry appears to have been driven away as the Army is expected to acquire an artillery howitzer 22 years after the controversial gun deal.

After the Bofors scandal in the 80s, the Army has not been able to induct even a single piece of howitzer due to various controversies resulting in several cancellations of tenders in this regard.

"I am also quite hopeful that on one particular variety of guns, we should be able to start seeing certain amount of induction this year," Army chief General V K Singh said here.

As part of its over Rs 20,000 crore artillery modernisation plan, the Army is looking at inducting several types of howitzers through inter-governmental pacts and global tenders.

The Army Chief said "to do away with the critical deficiency" of howitzers, the Army has plans of starting trials for the guns this year in summer and enable their induction by the end of next year.

India is already in an advanced stage of negotiations with the US for procuring over 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers for their deployment in mountainous region.

Trials for the 155 mm 52 calibre towed artillery guns are also expected to commence soon involving the BAE Systems and Singapore Technologies.

The Army presently uses a mix of 105 mm field guns and 130 mm and 155 mm medium howitzers.

On the modernisation of air defence systems, the Army chief said, "We have been able to push most of our cases and we should be seeing results as we have set targets for ourselves that trials must start this year."

Asked to comment on the activities of the ULFA in Assam, the Army Chief said, "ULFA at present is dormant. The 28th battalion is active in Myanmar and Paresh Baruah is further far away."

Singh said the present problems in the state were being created by the National Democratic Front of Bodoland and its various splinter groups.

 

[prateikf]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/129286/army-lethal-agile-force-two.html

Singh said the army intended to induct new artillery guns - four types of artillery guns are being looked at - within this year. The army has already placed orders for about 145 M777 ultralight howitzers from the US last year.

Is it true that the order has already been placed last year? This has never been mentioned anywhere else.

 

[black eagle]

Army to be lethal, agile force with two-front war capability


New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) The Indian Army Friday said it was going through a transformation to emerge as a 'lethal, agile and networked' force capable of meeting challenges on both the western and eastern fronts with Pakistan and China.

Army Chief General V.K. Singh said it was planning new acquisitions and reforms in its command and control structure that would ensure it 'plugs the gaps' in its operational capability and at the same time be able to take 'quicker, effective decisions' to be responsive to situations.

For that purpose, the army was now thinking aloud on integrating its 'strategic force elements' into a single command, under which its offensive Strike Corps are placed, apart from restructuring its formation headquarters, including the army headquarters.

'The aim of the transformation is to become a more agile, lethal and networked force capable of meeting future challenges. The shift in focus is from being a threat-based force to a capability-based force with effective operational preparedness,' Singh said.

'The capability to fight in both plains and mountains is not country-specific. We are capable of facing any threats on our borders. How we do it is our problem. We will ensure - wherever the threat is, be it on one or two fronts - we will be able to meet the threats,' he said.

On the plans to create a separate strategic command, Singh said the army was trying out a lot of ideas, particularly to bring its strategic capability and assets under one command, but a decision on its headquarters and timing would be decided after a debate.

He clarified that this plan was army specific and had nothing to do with the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) or taking away its assets. SFC, a tri-service command, was set up early this century to handle India's strategic assets including its nuclear arsenal.

Under the transformation plans, Singh said the army was looking at reorganisation and restructuring of its headquarters to 'flatten' the organisation to ensure there was synergy in all of its future theatre battle plans, to enhance optimum operational capability to meet threats, practical training, achieving network centricity, and addressing tri-service jointness.'

That apart, the army would like to ensure all its finances for technological advancements and procurements are used up within the time lines every year and adequately.

For the purpose of effecting this transformation, the army was setting up 'test beds' this year.

Singh said the army intended to induct new artillery guns - four types of artillery guns are being looked at - within this year. The army has already placed orders for about 145 M777 ultralight howitzers from the US last year.

The army also intended to strengthen its air defence through procurements and to ensure its tanks are not night blind by installing devices. It also plans further procurement of deep strike capability weapons such as Pinaka rockets and BrahMos cruise missiles.

To augment its air wing, the army will procure more rotary wing assets, both transport and attack helicopters, and upgrade the existing fleet of Chetaks and Cheetahs.

On the issue of weapons and equipment being obsolete, Singh said at any point of time, any force globally, had 30 per cent modern systems, 40 percent current technology and 30 percent in some stage of obsolescence.

On the possibility of renewing military exchanges with China, Singh said since it was a diplomacy issue, he would leave it to External Affairs Ministry to take a decision.

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/newsrf.php?newsid=14185

 

[black eagle]

Singh said the army intended to induct new artillery guns - four types of artillery guns are being looked at - within this year. The army has already placed orders for about 145 M777 ultralight howitzers from the US last year.

India is already in an advanced stage of negotiations with the US for procuring over 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers for their deployment in mountainous region.

Trials for the 155 mm 52 calibre towed artillery guns are also expected to commence soon involving the BAE Systems and Singapore Technologies.

Why this contradiction???

 

[Phenom]

These are two different artillery orders. 145mm guns has already been ordered from US, but the trials will soon begin for selecting the 155mm guns

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Even if they got these 52cals in next 1 year, It will take 2-3years to replace most 130mm from army..

Whatever the case this is must have equipment which is suppose to be induced long time back, Still we are looking what to buy..
Anyways i hope for the betterment for arty..

 

[black eagle]

These are two different artillery orders. 145mm guns has already been ordered from US, but the trials will soon begin for selecting the 155mm guns

The reports speaks of the same gun, i.e M777 howitzers.. 145 is the number of guns that will be bought.. & does 145mm caliber exist at all?? Just asking coz i don't know....

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Their is no such thing as 145mm in IA purchase list..

IA is looking forward for M777 to replace 105mm on high altitudes..

M777

FH-2000

ZUZUNA SPGH

 

[black eagle]

thanks kunal... feels good to be proven right.. ;-)

 

[Kunal Biswas]

thanks kunal... feels good to be proven right.. ;-)

 

[Anshu Attri]

Will India's Gun Jinx Be Broken This Year?

http://livefist.blogspot.com/2011/01/will-indias-gun-jinx-be-broken-this.html

Since the Bofors scam of 1986, the Indian Army has been led by three chiefs from the Regiment of Artillery -- General SF Rodrigues, S Padmanabhan and, most recently, Deepak Kapoor. Not one of them was able to break the ludicrous, politicised embargo on inducting new heavy artillery into the Army. In effect, the Army hasn't added a single howitzer to its arsenal in 25 years. It has multiple competitions running, some of them meandering for much of the last decade, but the shortpoint stays -- the army hasn't added one single piece of heavy artillery in a quarter century. Which is why, current Chief of Army Staff, General Vijay Singh's assertion two days ago that new guns would definitely enter service with the army before the year is out, is thunderingly good news.

The only gun that can conceivably enter service with the Indian Army in that timeframe is the 155-mm/39-cal BAE Systems M777 ultra-light howitzer (ULH). While India has been looking at the gun since 2008, it was in early 2010 that it officially requested a foreign military sale of 145 M777s from the US government. Looks like that's going through.

 

[Parthy]

First time after Bofors, Indian Army may procure howitzer gun

The ghost of Bofors haunting the Defence Ministry appears to have been driven away as the Army is expected to acquire an artillery howitzer 22 years after the controversial gun deal.

After the Bofors scandal in the 80s, the Army has not been able to induct even a single piece of howitzer due to various controversies resulting in several cancellations of tenders in this regard.

"I am also quite hopeful that on one particular variety of guns, we should be able to start seeing certain amount of induction this year," Army chief General V K Singh said here.

As part of its over Rs 20,000 crore artillery modernisation plan, the Army is looking at inducting several types of howitzers through inter-governmental pacts and global tenders.

The Army Chief said "to do away with the critical deficiency" of howitzers, the Army has plans of starting trials for the guns this year in summer and enable their induction by the end of next year.

India is already in an advanced stage of negotiations with the US for procuring over 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers for their deployment in mountainous region.

Trials for the 155 mm 52 calibre towed artillery guns are also expected to commence soon involving the BAE Systems and Singapore Technologies.

The Army presently uses a mix of 105 mm field guns and 130 mm and 155 mm medium howitzers.

On the modernisation of air defence systems, the Army chief said, "We have been able to push most of our cases and we should be seeing results as we have set targets for ourselves that trials must start this year."

Asked to comment on the activities of the ULFA in Assam, the Army Chief said, "ULFA at present is dormant. The 28th battalion is active in Myanmar and Paresh Baruah is further far away."

Singh said the present problems in the state were being created by the National Democratic Front of Bodoland and its various splinter groups.


http://www.brahmand.com/news/First-...-Army-may-procure-howitzer-gun/6059/1/10.html

 

[Kunal Biswas]

http://defenceforumindia.com/showthread.php?t=18190&p=223878#post223878

 

[neo29]

Getting over Bofors, army set to induct modern weapons

The Indian Army will see its first artillery induction this year after a quarter century since the Bofors scam hit the country in the mid-80s.

The last effort at modernising the army was made in 1986 when the force made the Bofors purchase. There seems to be some hope now as trials for Ultra Light-weight Towed Howitzers have been nearly completed.

The army has struck a $647-million contract deal for 145 M-777guns. The deal comprises Laser Inertial Artillery Pointing Systems and associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support for a complete package.

The M-777 is a low-weight firearm weighing less than 4,218 kg and is highly mobile on land, sea and air. The system was under consideration by New Delhi since 2008, but it was only in early 2010 that India officially requested for a foreign military sale from the US government.

Last week Army Chief General VK Singh said one particular variety of gun would be inducted this year. "Various systems are being tried out. A large number of trials are on and we should be able to induct something into the artillery this year," Singh said.

As part of the modernisation and upgradation programme, the army had tendered for 400 guns, mostly of the towed variety. Bofors emerged as the single vendor in this category after mobility tests were conducted in different theatres and weather conditions.

But since New Delhi was politically haunted by the Bofors controversy, the tender was cancelled thrice — in 2007, 2009 and 2010. However, the tender has been recently issued again.

The three vendors who had responded to the tender were Israeli Soltam, Sweden's BAE Systems SWS Defence AB — the Bofors maker, and Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd. Defence ministry sources told DNA Soltam was disqualified on vigilance grounds, while ST Kinetics of Singapore were unable to field their guns in India for trials, leading to a single vendor situation.

The army at present uses the Swedish 155mm guns of .39 calibre. As part of its modernisation and upgradation plan it plans to induct guns of .52 calibre.

http://idrw.org/?p=2389

 

[SHASH2K2]

RFP Issued for Howitzers for Indian Army; BAE Systems M777s Lead Race​

After four failed attempts in the last 25 years, the Army has issued a fresh global tender for acquiring over 400 towed artillery howitzers, the first after the controversial Bofors deal. The ghost of Bofors controversy had been haunting the artillery modernisation process with all previous efforts to procure the guns being cancelled and the Army has not been able to induct even a single new piece of howitzer since the mid 1980s.

The latest request for proposal was issued in the third week of January, army sources said, adding the deal would include procurement of over 400 guns from foreign vendors and production of over 1,000 guns indigenously in partnership with the chosen manufacturer. The tender has been re-issued as the last one was cancelled after one of the two contenders Singapore Technologies was blacklisted by the Defence Ministry after it was named in a CBI charge sheet in the Ordnance Factory scam.

After the blacklisting, BAE Systems was the only company left in the fray and the tender was scrapped as the Indian defence procurement rules don't allow acquisition in single vendor cases. However, it is not yet clear as which firms other than BAE Systems have received the RFP this time.

To augment its artillery prowess, the Army is likely to procure the ultra-light howitzers this year from the United States through the foreign military sales route. India is already in an advanced stage of negotiations with the US for procuring over 145 ultra-light howitzers for their deployment in mountainous regions. As part of its over Rs 20,000-crore artillery modernisation plan, the Army is looking at inducting several types of howitzers through inter-governmental pacts and global tenders.

The Army Chief had also recently said that the trials for the different types of guns were expected to begin this year in summer so that their induction could take place by the end of next year. The Army presently uses a mix of 105 mm field guns and 130 mm and 155 mm howitzers.

 

[SHASH2K2]

RFP Issued for Howitzers for Indian Army; BAE Systems M777s Lead Race​

After four failed attempts in the last 25 years, the Army has issued a fresh global tender for acquiring over 400 towed artillery howitzers, the first after the controversial Bofors deal. The ghost of Bofors controversy had been haunting the artillery modernisation process with all previous efforts to procure the guns being cancelled and the Army has not been able to induct even a single new piece of howitzer since the mid 1980s.

The latest request for proposal was issued in the third week of January, army sources said, adding the deal would include procurement of over 400 guns from foreign vendors and production of over 1,000 guns indigenously in partnership with the chosen manufacturer. The tender has been re-issued as the last one was cancelled after one of the two contenders Singapore Technologies was blacklisted by the Defence Ministry after it was named in a CBI charge sheet in the Ordnance Factory scam.

After the blacklisting, BAE Systems was the only company left in the fray and the tender was scrapped as the Indian defence procurement rules don't allow acquisition in single vendor cases. However, it is not yet clear as which firms other than BAE Systems have received the RFP this time.

To augment its artillery prowess, the Army is likely to procure the ultra-light howitzers this year from the United States through the foreign military sales route. India is already in an advanced stage of negotiations with the US for procuring over 145 ultra-light howitzers for their deployment in mountainous regions. As part of its over Rs 20,000-crore artillery modernisation plan, the Army is looking at inducting several types of howitzers through inter-governmental pacts and global tenders.

The Army Chief had also recently said that the trials for the different types of guns were expected to begin this year in summer so that their induction could take place by the end of next year. The Army presently uses a mix of 105 mm field guns and 130 mm and 155 mm howitzers.

 

[Blackwater]

bhagwan ke liye le lao ..kuch to le lo.

 

[maomao]

bhagwan ke liye le lao ..kuch to le lo.

LOL hahhahhaahaha Paaji, I can understand your frustration, even after having adequate funds and know-how about the products, we tend to hear only words such as RFI, RFP, MOU, Trial, Final Decision Awaited etc etc....And, hardly in any big acquisition we have heard - Viola We have Bought it and its in our inventory......In particular MMRCA competition is still on for past 10yrs, and GOI and Corrupt babus have still not decided which a/c would suite our needs? Its hilarious

 

[Kunal Biswas]

RFP Issued for Howitzers for Indian Army; BAE Systems M777s Lead Race​

After four failed attempts in the last 25 years, the Army has issued a fresh global tender for acquiring over 400 towed artillery howitzers, the first after the controversial Bofors deal. The ghost of Bofors controversy had been haunting the artillery modernisation process with all previous efforts to procure the guns being cancelled and the Army has not been able to induct even a single new piece of howitzer since the mid 1980s.

The latest request for proposal was issued in the third week of January, army sources said, adding the deal would include procurement of over 400 guns from foreign vendors and production of over 1,000 guns indigenously in partnership with the chosen manufacturer.

After the blacklisting, BAE Systems was the only company left in the fray and the tender was scrapped as the Indian defence procurement rules don't allow acquisition in single vendor cases. However, it is not yet clear as which firms other than BAE Systems have received the RFP this time.

To augment its artillery prowess, the Army is likely to procure the ultra-light howitzers this year from the United States through the foreign military sales route. India is already in an advanced stage of negotiations with the US for procuring over 145 ultra-light howitzers for their deployment in mountainous regions.

Beside BAE who is there ?
Russian are selling 152mm..

I can smell home made stuff..
M777 is a 39cal which comes under ULH, +1400 Towed are 52cal..

If their is any other we may know soon...

 

[SHASH2K2]

Beside BAE who is there ?
Russian are selling 152mm..

I can smell home made stuff..
M777 is a 39cal which comes under ULH, +1400 Towed are 52cal..

If their is any other we may know soon...

Honestly speaking I think only God knows or maybe even he would refuse to comment on this . hope whatever we decide it should be quick.