fatman17
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Date Posted: 30-Oct-2009
Jane's Defence Weekly
Indian Army may turn to 1950s-vintage artillery
Rahul Bedi JDW Correspondent - New Delhi
Key Points
The Indian Army is looking to acquire 1950s-vintage Soviet artillery to plug a serious shortfall
Red tape and accusations of 'irregularities' have undermined successive Indian artillery upgrade plans
The Indian Army's artillery directorate is considering the acquisition of additional Soviet-designed 130 mm M-46 field guns, developed in the 1950s, from surplus stocks within the former Soviet republics to augment its severely depleted firepower.
Official sources said delays and constant postponement in acquiring new howitzers to replace and supplement the 410 Bofors 155 mm/39 cal guns procured in the late 1980s had promoted this possibility in a bid to plug the army's artillery shortfall.
India was the largest export customer for M-46 artillery pieces, with an estimated 800 purchased from the late 1960s onwards and employed during the 1971 war with Pakistan.
Thereafter, under the Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan finalised in the late 1980s, the army aimed by 2020-25 to acquire a mix of around 3,200 to 3,600 155 mm/52 cal and 155 mm/39 cal towed, wheeled, tracked and light howitzers for 180 of around 220 artillery regiments. The new guns were intended to replace the six different calibres the artillery currently deploys.
However, over the years all artillery acquisition attempts had been delayed by both the army and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) due to vacillation, complex procurement procedures and allegations of corruption involving overseas vendors.
Artillery officers told Jane's that under the "most optimistic scenario" it would take between six and nine years to begin executing the army's artillery plans. Until that time the army would remain largely dependent on around 390 Bofors FH-77B 155 mm/39 cal howitzers, many of which have been cannibalised to keep the rest operational.
The remaining firepower would be provided by the relatively small number of M-46 130 mm guns upgraded by Israel's Soltam to 155 mm/39 cal weapons, as well as various other guns that would remain in service.
The Soltam upgrade programme to retrofit 180 M-46s is mired in controversy, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) tasked to inquire into "alleged irregularities" in the award of the USD45.5 million contract by the Hindu nationalist BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government in 2001.
The outcome of the CBI inquiry is pending nearly five years after the investigation was ordered by the incoming Congress Party-led administration and military sources said the operational efficiency of the upgraded guns also remained "questionable".
Artillery sources said the principal problem with the upgraded 130 mm guns was their inability to hit targets at a distance of 40 to 41 km as agreed upon in negotiations.
A senior artillery officer said their range was "substantially less" than what had been promised by Soltam and that the entire upgrade programme was "over ambitious". The upgraded guns also have "obduration" problems with their barrels and breech block.
A proposal to upgrade the FH-77Bs is also in jeopardy, primarily due to the "over-ambitious" qualitative requirements drawn up by the artillery directorate for the retrofit. This includes replacing the gun barrel and breech block, strengthening the undercarriage and fitting it with a state-of-the-art sighting system to allow heavier rounds to be fired to register greater damage on the target.
Date Posted: 30-Oct-2009
Jane's Defence Weekly
Indian Army may turn to 1950s-vintage artillery
Rahul Bedi JDW Correspondent - New Delhi
Key Points
The Indian Army is looking to acquire 1950s-vintage Soviet artillery to plug a serious shortfall
Red tape and accusations of 'irregularities' have undermined successive Indian artillery upgrade plans
The Indian Army's artillery directorate is considering the acquisition of additional Soviet-designed 130 mm M-46 field guns, developed in the 1950s, from surplus stocks within the former Soviet republics to augment its severely depleted firepower.
Official sources said delays and constant postponement in acquiring new howitzers to replace and supplement the 410 Bofors 155 mm/39 cal guns procured in the late 1980s had promoted this possibility in a bid to plug the army's artillery shortfall.
India was the largest export customer for M-46 artillery pieces, with an estimated 800 purchased from the late 1960s onwards and employed during the 1971 war with Pakistan.
Thereafter, under the Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan finalised in the late 1980s, the army aimed by 2020-25 to acquire a mix of around 3,200 to 3,600 155 mm/52 cal and 155 mm/39 cal towed, wheeled, tracked and light howitzers for 180 of around 220 artillery regiments. The new guns were intended to replace the six different calibres the artillery currently deploys.
However, over the years all artillery acquisition attempts had been delayed by both the army and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) due to vacillation, complex procurement procedures and allegations of corruption involving overseas vendors.
Artillery officers told Jane's that under the "most optimistic scenario" it would take between six and nine years to begin executing the army's artillery plans. Until that time the army would remain largely dependent on around 390 Bofors FH-77B 155 mm/39 cal howitzers, many of which have been cannibalised to keep the rest operational.
The remaining firepower would be provided by the relatively small number of M-46 130 mm guns upgraded by Israel's Soltam to 155 mm/39 cal weapons, as well as various other guns that would remain in service.
The Soltam upgrade programme to retrofit 180 M-46s is mired in controversy, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) tasked to inquire into "alleged irregularities" in the award of the USD45.5 million contract by the Hindu nationalist BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government in 2001.
The outcome of the CBI inquiry is pending nearly five years after the investigation was ordered by the incoming Congress Party-led administration and military sources said the operational efficiency of the upgraded guns also remained "questionable".
Artillery sources said the principal problem with the upgraded 130 mm guns was their inability to hit targets at a distance of 40 to 41 km as agreed upon in negotiations.
A senior artillery officer said their range was "substantially less" than what had been promised by Soltam and that the entire upgrade programme was "over ambitious". The upgraded guns also have "obduration" problems with their barrels and breech block.
A proposal to upgrade the FH-77Bs is also in jeopardy, primarily due to the "over-ambitious" qualitative requirements drawn up by the artillery directorate for the retrofit. This includes replacing the gun barrel and breech block, strengthening the undercarriage and fitting it with a state-of-the-art sighting system to allow heavier rounds to be fired to register greater damage on the target.
