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New Delhi –The Indian Army has come under the scanner once again following the recent mysterious leaking of a classified report related to the field trial of the M777 ultra-light Howitzer that was concluded recently. The pages of the classified report that have leaked contain evidence that the M-777 howitzer had failed the field trials concluded in December 2010.
The company that now own Bofors, the BAE Systems of US, makes the ultra light Howitzer M777 which is to be procured through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route by India from the US. The acquisition is to be made through the government-to- government FMS route and is worth over $647 million for 10 regiments (160) guns. However, according to the leaked pages of the report, the Howitzer gun appears to have failed the recent trials on several parameters.
The Indian Army claims that the report on the US gun has been leaked by vested interests to put the acquisition into controversy. The Army Headquarters has ordered the Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI) to conduct an inquiry. The high-level probe into the leak of field trial report of M777 ultra light howitzer has brought some recently retired Artillery Officers under scanner. In addition, their liaisons with a rival company that had missed the contract earlier were being scrutinised.
According to sources, the final report, whose pages have leaked, was prepared a month ago and few pages of this report mysteriously reached the Army Headquarters last month along with a note urging it to scrap the US order. There was also a threat to the Indian Army Chief of exposing the corrupt nature of these procurements and a reminder that he could also end up tainted as the former Army Chief if the deal was not scrapped.
While the FMS route is generally more expensive, the current revelations have once again jeopardised the military procurement. Since the FMS route allows acquisitions to happen without the lengthy tendering process, it has been favoured by India to circumvent various delays and possible foul play but the current controversy has rendered the FMS route useless as well in the face of the new mishap.
As for the controversial report, it has assessed the M 777 in light of the results of the trial of Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK) Pegasus gun. In 2009, STK was blacklisted along with 6 other firms for their involvement in Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) scam in India. Since there had already been a 25 year delay in Howitzer acquisition, the Army, in consultation with the Defence Ministry, decided not to prepare a fresh General Staff Qualitative Requirement and let the US gun be tested against the previously shortlisted Pegasus because both were 155 mm and 39 calibre.
While many in the Indian Army admit that the M 777 Howitzer may not have met the standards of artillery capabilities, it is felt that the leaked pages of the report are only a part of the whole report and that the Howitzer can still be chosen. The Army Headquarters is not showing any signs of buckling up under pressure and will support the M777 Howitzer when the case is taken up by the Defence Acquisition Council headed by Defence Minister A.K Antony. The final word on the acquisition is with the Cabinet Committee on Security.
As for the Indian government, it has indicated that a strong signal will be sent to arms dealers if any manipulation has been involved for vested interests in this “commercial espionageâ€. It has been established by initial investigations by the Army headquarters that the trial report was leaked with the help of a major defence conglomerate involved earlier for the supply of ultra light howitzers.
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