Army undecided on Howitzers

The Army has recommended a fresh summer evaluation of three competing 155 mm/52 caliber-towed artillery systems, as neither contender had "adequately met" the general staff qualitative requirements during the four-month of extensive trials that ended last September.

Military sources said the artillery directorate at the Army headquarters had been unable to "sufficiently appraise" the contending Howitzers from Bofors Defence of Sweden, Soltam of Israel and Denel of South Africa in order of merit, based on their performance at Pokhran and had opted for a re-trial.

According to military sources, the directorate's report is believed to have been "ambivalent" and "confusing", half-heartedly recommending all three platforms but plumbing for neither.

The defence ministry has, reportedly, asked all three companies to take back their Howitzers, make "suitable modifications" and return to Pokhran later this year. All the three companies are taking part in the ongoing defence exhibition.

All three Howitzers had been unable to meet the GSQR in 2002, returning for a fresh round of trials last June after altering their systems. Thereafter, for three months each gun fired 350 rounds besides demonstrating its "shoot and scoot" and cross-country agility in various configurations.

In keeping with the field artillery rationalisation plan, the Army plans to buy 400 Howitzers""80 outright and building the rest locally under licence "" from one of the three manufacturers as part of its plan to standardise its artillery requirements by 2020-25.

This includes a mix of towed Howitzers, wheeled 155mm/ 52 cal self-propelled Howitzers and the Bhim, in a modernisation plan costing between Rs 900 crore and Rs 1,000 crore over 15-20 years.

Meanwhile, the India-South African Bhim price negotiation committee had been asked to finalise the price for Denel Ordnance's LIW T 6 155mm/52 cal turret system that had been successfully mated with the chassis of the locally developed Arjun main battle tank, military sources said. It was likely to be completed soon, they added.

Price differences of around Rs 2-3 crore for the LIW T-6 system, that was successfully tested six years ago, with Denel reportedly demanding $2.6 million-$2.8 million per turret including mating charges, had delayed the price negotiation. "A compromise is close to being reached," said an Army source.

Denel has tied up with the state-owned Bharat Earth Movers Ltd for the "mating" besides reportedly employing a host of senior retired Army officers as "advisers".

Initially, the Army wants 124 155mm/52 cal self-propelled Howitzers, a figure that corresponds with an equal number of Arjuns that were sanctioned in the late 1990's but are yet to be built at the heavy vehicles factory at Avadi, near Chennai.

Army sources said the Arjun project was jeopardised because Germany that had contracted to supply MTU 838 Ka 510 1,400 HP diesel engines for the locally designed main battle tank, had stopped building this power pack of which India bought around 40-45 in the 1990's.

Instead, the German manufacturer has offered India an upgraded engine that it is unwilling to buy because of its high cost and the engineering changes it will necessitate in the already troublesome and expensive Arjun.

Meanwhile, negotiations with Bofors were continuing for spares for 410 FH 77B 155mm / 39 cal Howitzers the Army acquired in the late 1980's under controversial circumstances that remain under investigation. Upgrading the guns to 155mm/ 45 cal to enhance their range is also being discussed with Bofors representatives.