Washington: The United States has decided to sell 145 state-of-the-art 155mm towed Howitzers to India worth about $885 million to improve the security of "an important partner" for political stability, peace, and economic progress in South Asia. The US Department of Defense had on August 2 notified the Congress about the proposed sale. The US said the sale of these guns will not alter the basic military balance in the South Asian region.
The Indian government requested a sale of 145 M777 155mm light-weight towed Howitzers with laser inertial artillery pointing systems (LINAPS), warranty, spare and repair parts, maintenance, and training equipment, the Department of Defense said in a notification. "India intends to use the howitzers to modernise its armed forces and enhance its ability to operate in hazardous conditions. India will have no difficulty absorbing these weapons into its armed forces," the mandatory notification said. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region, the notification said. There will be no adverse impact on US defence readiness as a result of this proposed sale, it said.
In accordance with the Indian Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), it is anticipated that the vendor will be required to negotiate an offset contract with the government of India, the notification said. The deal will include warranty, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, maintenance, personnel training and training equipment, US government and contractor representatives' technical assistance, engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support.
The principal contractors will be BAE of Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Watervliet Arsenal of Watervliet, New York; Seiler Instrument Company of St. Louis, Missouri; Triumph Actuation Systems of Bloomfield, Connecticut; Taylor Devices of North Tonawanda, New York; Hutchinson Industries of Trenton, New Jersey; and Selex, Edinburgh, Britain. The M777 howitzer is a towed 155 mm artillery piece, successor to the M198 howitzer in the US Marine Corps and US Army. The M777 is also used by the ground forces of Canada and Australia. It made its combat debut in the war in Afghanistan.
