US-made ultra light Howitzers tested at Pokhran for preparing fire tables

India will acquire 145 ultra light Howitzer guns as part of a deal with US manufacturer BAE systems in the next three years.

India’s artillery is all set to acquire teeth with five US-made 155 mm M 777 ultra light Howitzers currently being tested in the Pokhran area of Rajasthan for preparing fire tables after successful live testing in Ladakh, Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh. India will acquire 145 such guns as part of a deal with US manufacturer BAE systems in the next three years.

US soldiers from Charlie Battery, 321st Field Artillery Regiment fire a 155MM M777 howitzer at a Taliban enemy position from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bostic, in Kunar province, eastern Afghanistan September 28, 2011. India is testing these guns at Pokhran and will acquire 145 Howitzers from the US in the next three years. (REUTERS File Photo)

A fire table tells gunners the angles at which the artillery guns should be fired to hit targets at a specific distance.

India has been working to strengthen its artillery, perhaps for the first time since the 1980s Bofors scandal.

The army is also acquiring 10 K-9 mounted guns from South Korea as part of a 100 gun deal signed with Hanwha Tech Win. As part of the deal, 10 guns will be directly imported and the remaining made in India with a local partner. India has the option of acquiring another 50 guns through the same government to government route through which the first 10 were bought