NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — On January 12, the UK BAE Systems security and defense company received the US Defense Department’s contract to provide 145 M777 howitzers to the Indian military under the US-Indian deal, signed in November 2016.
The NDTV broadcaster specified that two out of the 25 already assembled M777 howitzers had already arrived in India. The remaining 120 guns will be imported in parts and assembled on Indian territory.
Earlier in the day, the broadcaster quoted the BAE spokesman as saying that the first howitzers would be delivered to India this weekend. The spokesman also noted that BAE Systems planned to continue its support of US efforts to integrate the M777 howitzers in India’s army as part of its modernization program.
This is the first time in the past 30 years that the Indian army will receive howitzers since the purchase of the artillery from the Swedish Bofors arms manufacturing company.
