Posted on 05/12/2012 12:33:25 PM PDT by James C. Bennett
NEW DELHI -(MarketWatch)- India's defense ministry has approved a proposal to buy 145 ultra-light howitzers from U.S.-based BAE Systems Inc. for about 30 billion rupees ($560 million), a senior defense ministry official said Saturday, as the South Asian country continues its efforts to modernize its armed forces.
The proposal to buy the M777 artillery guns was cleared Friday by the Defense Acquisitions Council, chaired by defense minister A. K. Antony, the official, who didn't wish to be named, told Dow Jones Newswires by phone. He said the signing of a final contract could take some more months after completion of cost negotiations.
"This will be a direct government-to-government deal between India and the U.S. under the U.S. government's foreign military sales route," said a person familiar with the matter.
The foreign military sales route is required for most defense exports from the U.S.
India, which shares its borders with China and Pakistan, is buying fighter jets, helicopters and warships for its defense forces. The country is close to sealing an estimated $12 billion deal with France's Dassault Aviation SA to acquire 126 fighter jets to replace its ageing fleet of MiG-21 jets, some of which were bought in the 1960s.
India plans to spend about INR1.93 trillion on defense in the fiscal year starting April 1--an increase of 13% from the current year--and earmarked INR795.79 billion to buy new weapons.
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
I buy all my howitzers from BAE Systems.
I know what I want for my birthday!
At almost 4 million dollars per gun it seems a little pricey.
You can talk 'em down if you shop at the end of the model year.
155mm, lightweight, digital fire control and a shot every 12 seconds is the selling point.
“At almost 4 million dollars per gun it seems a little pricey.”
This ain’t your Granddaddy’s Howitzer.
Not all the hydraulics, and the electronic targeting system on the left.
The real question is why does India feel they need these.
Walmart has them as a “Mother’s Day Special” at $3.65mil, includes gift box and card. Can’t beat that!
A electronically-controlled hydraulic reset that repositions the gun after every shot, and can put a shell within a 5-meter circle, 15 miles downrange, every-12-15 seconds, for as long as you want to keep shooting.
WORTH EVERY PENNY....
Makes the fighting vehicle invisible even to IR sensors.
Lol, not the 155s I used to spot for back in the day. Good looking gun. Love to have one :)
Just like the cuttlefish.
Gun porn.
1. Pakistan
2. China
A good question.
With a nest of insane mohammedan vipers on their doorstep and over the horizon to the northwest and angry expansionist commies off to the northeast, they are in a particularly precarious position.
Personally, I would want a large fleet of nuclear armed submarines to back up the popguns when things inevitably go bad.
Not me. I prefer the mule-drawn French 75. I learned to ire one as an avalanche buster. Vive la France!
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