Howitzers used by Indian Artillery Regiment
Dhanush Howitzer
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| Dhanush Howitzer |
Origin : India
It is a 155 mm 45 Caliber gun made by OFB. Confirmed order for 24 guns as of June 2016.
The design is based on Bofors, now Haubits FH77 which India acquired in the 1980s. Designed by OFB and ARDE between 2010-2013.Indian army planing Bulk Production of this howitzer, about 414 Dhanush by year 2020 and Unit cost of this Howitzer will be around Rs 14 crore.
Specifications
Crew : 6-8
Rate of fire : Burst:3 rounds in 15sec Intense: 15 rounds in 3 minutes Sustained: 60 rounds in 60 min
Maximum firing range : 38 Km
M777 Howitzer
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| M777 Howitzer |
Origin : USA
The M777 howitzer is a towed 155mm artillery piece since 2005. It made its combat debut in the War in Afghanistan. The M777 is manufactured by BAE Systems. It Weigh around 4,200 kg and require a Crew of about 8 people. The Maximum Rate of fire is about 5 rpm with Effective firing range of 40km.
Controversy in buying M777 between India and US
The Indian Army has also announced plans to acquire 145 guns for ₹30 billion (US$446 million), but purchase plans were overtaken when the procurement process was restarted in July 2010. India's Ministry of Defence cleared the proposal for buying 145 guns for $660 million on 11 May 2012 through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route of the US government. On 2 August 2013, India requested the sale of 145 M777 howitzers for $885 million. On 24 February 2014 the purchase was again postponed. On 11 May 2014 the purchase was cleared by India's Defence ministry. On 11 July 2014, the Government of India announced that it would not order the guns because of cost issues. On 22 November 2014, the selection process was restarted under the "Make In India" program. On 13 May 2015, The defence ministry approved Rs 2,900 crore to buy 145 American M-777 ultralight howizers from USA. On 15 December 2015, the Indian Ministry of Defence said it was keen on placing a follow-up order of 500 more M777 guns. On June 26, 2016, it was announced that 145 guns will be purchased by India for $750 million.
