Watch: A closer look at M777 Howitzer guns, set to be a game changer in India's military firepower

The Indian Army has procured two ultra light M777 Howitzer guns from the United States of America. The purchase of the artillery guns, the first since Bofors 31 years back, is expected to be a game changer in India's military firepower owing to the light nature of the guns making transport easy in high altitude regions.

The agreement to buy 145 guns costing Rs 5000 crore was finalised with the US last year.

The ultra light guns were used by the US forces in Afghanistan.

The guns can be used to combat Pakistani forces, but the Chinese border is where the light guns can have a big impact. The gun has a range of 35- 40 kms.

While the high mountainous regions along the western frontier has 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 Howitzer is light, can be dismantled and air lifted to high mountainous regions.

The first artillery gun to be bought after Bofors. The Howitzer will add to the India's military firepower capabilities @dna pic.twitter.com/UtHo0bPvdH

— Abhishek Bhalla (@AbhishekBhalla7) May 18, 2017

Manufactured by BAE Systems, 25 guns will come to India in a fly-away condition. The rest will be assembled in India by BAE Systems in partnership with Mahindra Defence.