US committed to India’s military modernisation efforts: Envoy

The M777 is a state-of-the-art, lightweight howitzer that will provide the Indian Army with advanced capabilities, said US envoy Richard Verma in a statement.

The US on Thursday said it is committed to enhancing India’s military modernisation efforts and building a security partnership based on trust, transparency, and shared interests.

This file photo from June 1999 shows Indian artillery men fire 155mm Bofors guns at enemy positions from a gun emplacement in the Drass sector of Indian-controlled Kashmir. (AFP)

Welcoming the “landmark deal” for 145 M777 howitzer artillery guns, US envoy Richard Verma said that Indian industry will partner with the US defence subsidiary of BAE Systems to locally assemble, integrate, and test the howitzers, supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign.

“This deal marks a major step forward in the US-India defence relationship and supports jobs in both our countries,” he said.

As ‘Major Defence Partners’, the United States and India remain committed to enhancing military modernization efforts and building a security partnership based on trust, transparency, and shared interests, he said.

The M777 is a state-of-the-art, lightweight howitzer that will provide the Indian Army with advanced capabilities, Verma said in a statement.

Breaking the Bofors jinx, India and the US on Wednesday inked a nearly Rs 5,000-crore deal for 145 M777 ultra-light howitzers, which will be mostly deployed near the borders with China.