Army orders probe into leak of Howitzer field trial report
Headlines Today Bureau | New Delhi, February 14, 2011 | Updated 12:20 IST
The Indian Army has ordered a probe into the leak of classified field trial report of the M-777 ultra-light Howitzer guns, being procured by it from the US.
Controversy hit the procurement of these guns after some pages of the classified report were leaked recently, which the army sees as "espionage". The army has ordered the Director General of Military Intelligence to conduct a probe into the incident.
The 160 Howitzer guns were being procured through a government-to-government route for over $647 million and were meant for 10 regiments of the army.
The field trial of the gun was completed in December 2010 and the confidential report was finalised in January. Five pages of this report mysteriously reached the army headquarters last month along with a note urging it to scrap the order.
Typed in bold letters, the note threatened army chief General V.K. Singh that he would meet the same fate as that of his predecessor in the Adarsh Housing Society scam if the military went ahead with the US gun deal.
This is not the first time that Howitzer has been in the middle of a controversy. Six months ago, an anonymous letter alleging corruption against chief of army staff General J.J. Singh had surfaced.
The letter, ostensibly written by a group of army men questioned the decision to procure the ultra light gun. A copy of this letter, which details proceedings of meetings held on the procurement of the gun, is with Headlines Today. It details how the gun was "junked" repeatedly by all departments concerned. The letter also alleged a nexus between General J.J. Singh and the manufacturers of the Howitzer gun, BAE Systems.
Source: India Today
Headlines Today Bureau | New Delhi, February 14, 2011 | Updated 12:20 IST
The Indian Army has ordered a probe into the leak of classified field trial report of the M-777 ultra-light Howitzer guns, being procured by it from the US.
Controversy hit the procurement of these guns after some pages of the classified report were leaked recently, which the army sees as "espionage". The army has ordered the Director General of Military Intelligence to conduct a probe into the incident.
The 160 Howitzer guns were being procured through a government-to-government route for over $647 million and were meant for 10 regiments of the army.
The field trial of the gun was completed in December 2010 and the confidential report was finalised in January. Five pages of this report mysteriously reached the army headquarters last month along with a note urging it to scrap the order.
Typed in bold letters, the note threatened army chief General V.K. Singh that he would meet the same fate as that of his predecessor in the Adarsh Housing Society scam if the military went ahead with the US gun deal.
This is not the first time that Howitzer has been in the middle of a controversy. Six months ago, an anonymous letter alleging corruption against chief of army staff General J.J. Singh had surfaced.
The letter, ostensibly written by a group of army men questioned the decision to procure the ultra light gun. A copy of this letter, which details proceedings of meetings held on the procurement of the gun, is with Headlines Today. It details how the gun was "junked" repeatedly by all departments concerned. The letter also alleged a nexus between General J.J. Singh and the manufacturers of the Howitzer gun, BAE Systems.
Source: India Today
