Army adds more firepower as 2 Howitzer guns arrive from US

As part of the Rs 20,000-plus crore plan to modernise the Indian Army's artillery firepower, two ultralight M777 Howitzer guns arrived in the Capital from the US on Thursday.

The purchase of the artillery guns, the first since Bofors 31 years ago, is expected to be a game-changer for India's military capability.

The procurement of the Howitzer guns is part of acquiring five types of artillery guns to add more ammunition to the Army's firepower both on the Pakistan and China borders.

The light nature of the Howitzer guns makes transporting them to mountainous terrains easy as compared to Bofors guns since they can be dismantled and airlifted.

Artillery guns play a crucial role in combat situations, giving support to the infantry and targeting enemy posts from a distance.

The agreement to buy 145 guns at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore was finalised with the US last year. While 25 will be procured directly, the rest will be assembled in India.

The ultralight guns were used by the US forces in Afghanistan.

The guns will be used to combat Pakistani forces, but the Chinese border is where the light guns can have a big impact. While the high mountainous regions along the western frontier have good roads, the situation on the eastern border is different. The Bofors gun can be transported by trucks to the Pakistan border. But that's not the case with the China border, as the heavy gun cannot be transported there due to poor road connectivity, leaving critical gaps.

The other artillery systems to be added to the Army's striking capability include the Dhanush, known as the 'desi' Bofors as the gun is based on the original Bofors design. Over 400 Dhanush guns are expected to be acquired by the Army.

Larsen and Toubro will be assembling 100 K-9 Vajra self-propelled guns in partnership with a South Korean firm. The advanced towed artillery guns are being made in India. They are meant to be deployed on the Pakistan border.

More than 800 mounted gun systems are also going to be purchased. These mounted 155mmx52-calibre guns are meant to be deployed in high altitude areas.

...& ANALYSIS

• The addition of the Howitzer guns to the Army’s artillery will help secure the northeast border with China further.
   
• This is because these guns are light and thus can be transported to mountainous regions more easily than the heavier Bofors guns.