New Delhi, January 14
With no fresh induction of artillery for over two decades, Chief of Army Staff Gen Deepak Kapoor said here this evening that the request for proposal aimed at procuring 140 ultra-light Howitzer guns had been issued at an estimated cost of Rs 10,000 crore.

Since the induction of the Bofors guns in 1986 under which 410 155-mm howitzers were purchased, the modernisation of the artillery has dragged on for years.

In an interface with mediapersons on the eve of the 60th Army Day, General Kapoor said the Army was issuing fresh global tenders for the procurement of 155-mm 52-calibre guns shortly and for 155 advanced guns in a month or so.

Even though the Army might be moving on a war footing with regard to the acquisition of howitzers and the advanced guns, sources said: “The process is just getting started and can take several years in materialising as processes involved are cumbersome and time consuming. This assumes significance and the process being set in motion now involves licensed production in the country.”

In 2001, India floated a global tender for the acquisition of 400 towed 155 52-calibre artillery guns valued $ 2 billion. However, it was scrapped after an extended four rounds of trials spread over the same number of years from 2002-06. On its part, the Army maintained that none of the guns measured up to the laid down general staff qualitative requirements.

General Kapoor was circumspect while observing that “we have certain requirements and we would like them to be met before we take any decision”.

Asked about the T-90 tanks, he said the government had in principle agreed for the induction of 347 more such tanks and the process would be completed soon.

With regard to the transfer of technology pertaining to the T 90 tanks, General Kapoor said it was a complex process.

The sources said advanced armies of various countries were increasingly going in for howitzers since these could be transported to a battle zone by air than the conventional heavy artillery guns.

“We want such howitzers since these can be deployed in a hurry in our forward areas along our borders depending on the threat perception,” General Kapoor explained.

The Army wants to induct 1,580 of these howitzers despite the delay so far. The infamous Bofors gun is now owned by BAE Systems and is believed to have performed better than the guns of the Israeli firm Soltam and the currently blacklisted South African Denel company.

While there has been no procurement since 1986, the artillery regiment has moved forward by inducting Russian Smerch and the indigenous Pinaka multi-launch rocket systems in addition to Brahmos supersonic cruise missile.