Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday inducted two new artillery gun systems and a gun-towing vehicle, providing a much-needed fillip to modernisation of the Indian Army.
The two new 155mm guns—the US M777 ultra-light towed howitzer and the South Korean-origin K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzer—are the first new artillery systems to enter mass service in the Indian Army since the Bofors Scandal of the late 1980s.
The induction ceremony in Deolali came ahead of establishing the first regiment—each comprising about 18 guns—of the M777 and the K9 Vajra by around the middle of next year, an official said.
For procuring 145 M777 systems, India in November 2016 had entered into a contract with the US under the Foreign Military Sales programme for Rs 5,070 crore. The M777s, which have been used in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, can be easily transported to high altitude areas by helicopters.
The K9 Vajra, which is a heavier system than the M777, is being manufactured by Larsen and Toubro under an agreement with South Korea's Hanwha Land Systems.
