New Delhi, February 14
The Army on Monday said a probe has been ordered into the leak of a classified field trial report of the M-777 ultra-light Howitzer guns, which are being purchased by it from the US.

The guns are being procured via the foreign military sales route --- the standard way to buy military equipment from a foreign nation.

Controversy hit the procurement of these guns after some pages of the classified report were leaked recently. The Army is seeing this as an act of “espionage” and has ordered the Director General of Military Intelligence to conduct a probe into the incident.

A total 160 Howitzer guns, capable of firing 155 mm ammunition, are being procured for $ 647 million and are meant to arm 10 regiments of the Army in the mountainous areas. These guns, also known by their acronym ULH (ultra light Howitzer), can be slung under an Mi-26 chopper and placed at a desired location within a short period.

The field trial of the gun was completed in December 2010 and a confidential report was finalised in January. Five pages of this report mysteriously reached the Army Headquarters last month along with a note urging it to scrap the order.