BAE Systems to bid for 155mm towed howitzers programme

[RPK]

BAE Systems to bid for 155mm towed howitzers programme

The company's offer will be based on the FH77 B05 155mm howitzer, and a significant proportion will be manufactured in India to meet the specific needs of the Indian Army.




BAE Systems has submitted a response to the Indian Ministry of Defence's latest RFI for towed 155mm howitzers, following previous tenders which were cancelled due to the inability of other potential suppliers to meet the tender conditions.


The company's offer will be based on the FH77 B05 155mm howitzer, and a significant proportion will be manufactured in India to meet the specific needs of the Indian Army.



The new RFI was issued by MoD in last month, bringing an end to the previous procurement process that had reached the summer field trial phase. BAE Systems and the FH77 B05 was present and ready to take part in those cancelled trials in Rajasthan and the FH77 B05 currently remains in India ready to recommence the process.



FH77 B05 is a more powerful, updated and computerised version of the howitzer that performed so well in the Kargil conflict. FH77B05 has significantly greater range than its predecessor, but retains many of the features that endeared the system to its users in the Indian Army.



Andrew Gallagher managing director and chief executive of BAE Systems India said, "BAE Systems is confident that the FH77 B05 is the best heavy towed howitzer in the world today and meets the requirements of the Indian Army.



Gallagher continued, “If selected to meet this urgent need for the Indian Army, our FH77 howitzer will be largely manufactured by Defence Land Systems India, our joint venture with Mahindra and we hope this will be the first step to establishing this business as an artillery centre of excellence, for BAE Systems globally. Furthermore it will create highly skilled local jobs in India."



Anand Mahindra, vice chairman and managing director of the Mahindra Group said, "We're proud to be associated with a defence system that has such a history of defending our great nation. Working on this programme will bring world-leading artillery technology to India for the first time, setting in motion the process of making Defence Land Systems India a global force in artillery."



India is BAE Systems’ newest home market and the company is committed to a programme of investment and technology transfer in support of its strategy to become a major domestic player in the Indian defence sector.

 

[Iggy]

tell me when some thing is actually ordered by the IA..i am bored of this tender thamasha

 

[jha]

So, when will be the next tender ...maybe in 4 years..

 

[sudhir007]

So, when will be the next tender ...maybe in 4 years..

may be that time we have our indigenous howitzers

 

[indian_reality]

indigenous howitzers

What a joke!!!!

And will you pay the generals in the army and babus in defence ministry and government crores to fill up their pocket??..........coz an indigenous gun means no bribe money!


And indigenous also means DRDO(a.k.a. Joke-of-the-nation) in the picture

 

[Stalker]

indigenous howitzers

What a joke!!!!

And will you pay the generals in the army and babus in defence ministry and government crores to fill up their pocket??..........coz an indigenous gun means no bribe money!


And indigenous also means DRDO(a.k.a. Joke-of-the-nation) in the picture

Yeah for jokers everything looks like a joke..even country flags

 

[Agnostic_Indian]

Indigenous means it will take long time.. We should also buy some guns till that time.

 

[indian_reality]

Yeah for jokers everything looks like a joke..even country flags

Taking pride is good but to let off the generals and brigadiers unaccounted because of pride is folly. You may not be aware but the generals and brigadiers in the army are some of the most corrupt people in India. I know it coz my late maternal grandpa retired as a colonel in the Indian Army and I happen to live in Mahavir Vikas in Kolkata(A residency only meant for defence personnel and family)..........Now would you care to explain to me how these generals and brigadiers and people involved with acquisitions have 3-4 cars each and that too spanning from Accords to Mercedes S-class??? How they get hold of art works worth millions?? So the joke's on u buddy isn't it ??? or rather the country!!

 

[Stalker]

Taking pride is good but to let off the generals and brigadiers unaccounted because of pride is folly. You may not be aware but the generals and brigadiers in the army are some of the most corrupt people in India. I know it coz my late maternal grandpa retired as a colonel in the Indian Army and I happen to live in Mahavir Vikas in Kolkata(A residency only meant for defence personnel and family)..........Now would you care to explain to me how these generals and brigadiers and people involved with acquisitions have 3-4 cars each and that too spanning from Accords to Mercedes S-class??? How they get hold of art works worth millions?? So the joke\'s on u buddy isn\'t it ??? or rather the country!!

I\'m not denying corruption in the Indian army...infact you can see it in the armies of almost every country. I myself have seen Indian army majors who have normal cars and normal homes. That\'s a completely different issue. The \"Joke\" here is how DRDO is a \"joke of the nation\" and what is the problem of indegenization of howitzers?

 

[indian_reality]

The problem with DRDO as with other government institutions is the lack of accountability and motivation to actually work. We visited the Pune lab of DRDO called High Energy Materials Research Laboratory during college days. It was a weekday......but the attendance and attitude of the people there were downright shocking. The government is in no hurry to innovate and put DRDO in a competitive environment with the private sector. That submarine line @ mazgaon docks instead of L&T should be a pointer. There is an idea floated that DRDO should build a prototype of FICV(Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle) to compete against private sector prototypes. Now thats how things should be done. Justify the public money and time and get rewarded with lucrative contracts. But tasking only them with building a howitzer is down-right sublime(Not if Indian Army wants today's technology 50 years later).

 

[Indian-Devil]

The problem with DRDO as with other government institutions is the lack of accountability and motivation to actually work. We visited the Pune lab of DRDO called High Energy Materials Research Laboratory during college days. It was a weekday......but the attendance and attitude of the people there were downright shocking. The government is in no hurry to innovate and put DRDO in a competitive environment with the private sector. That submarine line @ mazgaon docks instead of L&T should be a pointer. There is an idea floated that DRDO should build a prototype of FICV(Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle) to compete against private sector prototypes. Now thats how things should be done. Justify the public money and time and get rewarded with lucrative contracts. But tasking only them with building a howitzer is down-right sublime(Not if Indian Army wants today's technology 50 years later).

Although there are some issues with their products and time frame also. But you are just watching negative side, Would you care to see the positive side also for DRDO?

Including private sector in defence industry is good in long term but it doesnot mean Private sector will build something so advanced that will be years ahead of DRDO's project. If someone is trying to build something from scratch without any experience then u need to be little patient and have trust on them instead of saying them jokers. Or there is a other way also, stick to all imported equipments and blaming Babu's and MoD for many trials , time frame and later faulty equipments and cost over runs?

 

[Dash]

Although there are some issues with their products and time frame also. But you are just watching negative side, Would you care to see the positive side also for DRDO?

Including private sector in defence industry is good in long term but it doesnot mean Private sector will build something so advanced that will be years ahead of DRDO's project. If someone is trying to build something from scratch without any experience then u need to be little patient and have trust on them instead of saying them jokers. Or there is a other way also, stick to all imported equipments and blaming Babu's and MoD for many trials , time frame and later faulty equipments and cost over runs?

Private sector can collaborate with foriegn partners.
DRDO need to also release the knowledge base to private firms, like blue prrints.

they cant always keep it to themselve. No one is invincible here.

If private players were allowed then you will see better results than whats happening. The focus is on getting the job done. No matter who does it...

 

[indian_reality]

Its painful to look at the negative side of an organisation on whose products the dedicated brave selfless foot-soldiers of the army depend upon.But what positive outcome of DRDO do you find when you look back? What have they got to showcase? Arjun tank ? We all know the Arjun story.Still the turret is foreign(as far as i know), so is the engine. First MoD babus order foreign arms to suit their pockets.....the rest which somehow is chanellized to indigenous development meets the fate of the likes of Arjun tank, LCA & co. This is what gives the feeling of ..............