Induction of indigenous Howitzers approved, but experts advise caution

Sending good news to army, Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday informed media that the proposal to induct 144 units of indigenously-developed 155mm howitzers into the Army has been approved. The trials of the guns will be held later this year. But the officers involved with the process predict another Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun, a tank which took 37 years for its induction, in making.

The 155mm artillery guns are being developed indigenously by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) in Jabalpur on the basis of Transfer of Technology of the controversial Swiss Bofors guns, which were inducted into the army in late 1980s. The Defence Minister had recently visited Jabalpur to review the progress of the project.

"The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared a proposal for production of 144, 155mm guns (in the Army). Defence Minister A K Antony told reporters.

He expressed hope to induct the guns after a long gap of 30 years but experts, fully aware of the project, informed TSI that it is just the barrel which has been made and there is so much needed to be done to produce a gun which can be called as indigenous. A senior officer added that it is still a wait of another 10 years and if not handled properly it is going to be another project just like MBT Arjun.

India’s indigenous Arjun tank project began in 1974 which was to replace the Russian T-54 and T-72 tanks but it could be inducted in 2011 after over 37 years after the project was commissioned by the government.

A very senior officer related to the project told TSI requesting anonymity, “Ordinance Factory Board (OFB) has made only the barrel. Who will make the carriage, trails, recoil system, sighting system, electronic items and the auxiliary power units.”

Another officer added on the condition of anonymity, “Once the order is placed it will take another ten years for the project to fructify. It is another MBT Arjun in making.”

The officers informed that OFB had already made 44.3 non-standard calibers about 12-13 years back. The officers called it a welcome step but cautioned that the project needs a much focused work so as to fill this long gap when we did not induct even a single gun to army’s important artillery. The Army has not been able to add a new gun in its armoury the last 25 years despite several attempts. The previous four attempts to modernize the artillery have failed.

In a welcome step, the Defence Ministry had recently cleared the procurement of 145 Ultra Light Howitzers from the US under Foreign Military Sales route but that deal is yet to be finalised.

Under the project, the OFB will manufacture two prototypes of 155mm 39 caliber FH-77-B02 guns and the upgraded version of 155 mm/45 caliber howitzers. With the increase in caliber the length of the barrel increases which adds to the range to which the gun can fire. A 39 caliber gun can fire 30 kilometers whereas the 45 caliber gun will have a range of about 39 kilometers.

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