Indian army to induct artillery guns after 3 decades

The Indian Army has decided to induct its first batch of artillery guns nearly three decades after the Bofors howitzers were inducted.

In a formal ceremony scheduled to take place on November 9, the army will induct 100 self-propelled K9 Vajra guns and 145 M777 guns, in presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat.

While both the guns are of 155mm caliber, K9 Vajra is a tracked self-propelled gun whereas M777 is US manufactured howitzer that can be underslung a helicopter and moved from one place to another. Both the guns have a maximum range of 30 kilometres.

All pacts for the modernisation of the artillery were stalled after the deal to acquire Swedish Bofors guns came under scanner over the payment of alleged kickbacks. The Bofors guns were inducted in the late 1980s.