As Indian Govt Smoulders Over Trial Leak, M777 Crosses 1,000 Order Mark

As the Indian Army begins an official probe into the mysterious leak of its classified M777 ultra-light howitzer field evaluation trial report, across the world the gun is positively booming. According to a BAE Systems statement today, “An order for 46 M777 howitzers from the U.S. Department of Defense takes the total number of guns ordered to 1001.”

Seemingly refuting reports that the M777 failed certain trial parameters in India, Mike Smith, managing director of BAE Systems’ Global Combat Systems Weapons business said, “”M777 has passed every development and operational test in vital areas such as accuracy, consistency, operational flexibility and mobility. There is no other modern howitzer which has been subjected to such rigorous examination, or been engaged in such unrelenting operational usage and regular deployment by airborne assets.”

Photo / BAE Systems

19 thoughts on “As Indian Govt Smoulders Over Trial Leak, M777 Crosses 1,000 Order Mark”

  1. We need these guns.Tube artillery has advantages that Rocket artillery or ground attack helos or aircraft cannot give.It time to call the bluff of vested lobbies out to scuttle every deal not going their way.

  2. Pinakas are good weapons but like most rockets, leave a visible trace to their origin when fired. Besides they are not mounted on all terrain vehicles. I am of the opinion that we need these light guns so we can place them on mountain ranges that have little or no access to roads.

    Shiv, you should also report on the shocker for the delay in the arrival of the first scorpene at MDL.

  3. Pinaka is indeed good product.

    But you cant transport it hanging from helicopter like photo shows. Army looking light howitzer which should reach many palces where MBRL can't.

    THAT WHY WE NEED IT.

  4. I think we should go for these guns. I doubt that the US army and other European armies will place orders for a fun that has supposedly failed in so many parameters as mentioned in the leaked report. It is just vested interest playing spoil sport.

  5. India totally don't even know how powerful is M777.

    The M777 is better than any Russian and Indian field artillery.

    This is why Indian army suck they aren't good at artillery brigades.

  6. @Konglor96

    U moron the entire Indian army has hell lot of RT experience than ur Entire Western RT Brigades…
    I think u are bloody umeployed American living on alms of social security to make such comments…

  7. Sorry I am going out of topic.
    This is the problem of us Indian. Defense forces set goals that even ultra modern equipments can not deliver.
    Same time Indian defense suppliers and PSU delivers limited quality products (given the constrain limited budget, sub standard engineers and equipment etc. etc)

    At last lots of bla bla bla; and no move. This is a country where people are afraid of moving forward because of worry of failures.

  8. Anon@4:36,By the time Pinaka rockets impact on their targets upto 40 kms away,the smoke trail means little.Modern Rockets in any case do not smoke that much.Pinakas are mounted on TATRA trucks which have quite good mobility.But thats not the point.Rocket artillery have their uses for mass suppression.But,they take longer to deploy and after completing a salvo,they take time in reloading.An MBRL takes longer to bring into action than a arty gun.Rockets are less useful when your own chaps are close up to the enemy.The dispersed fire can put your own guys to risk.Also Rockets are more expensive and less portable than an arty shell in logistic terms.An arty gun can be deployed faster,is reloaded easily,more accurate and fire for a sustained and long period.The ammo is cheaper and easier to transport.Both have their own essential uses and neither can totally replace the other.

  9. I highly doubt that we need these guns at this ridiculous $5 mil per piece cost.
    Pakistan seems happy with used M109 that it got for $500,000 per gun recently.
    All I see is Indian weapon brokers/ middlemen pushing our ministers and armed forces to buy more and more without any end in sight.
    We have over 270 Su-30mki on order even then, we want 126 of 'medium' fighters. Not mention billions of $ giddily away to foreign makers of these planes. I fear that all the media hype that China and Pak are out to get us is nothing more that weapon manufacturers' plan to get Indians in to buying more.
    It is time to have some voice against this reckless weapon buying spree by us: India is the largest weapon importer in the world.

  10. The riddle is the presence of so-called contradictions between these so far proven guns and our proven requisite testing standards.

    If these guns are yet to show their mettle, then these guns shall be procured in a minimum plausible numbers to maintain our arsenal to some standard extent.

    This shall be substantiated by the condition that DRDO shall arrange for development and production of the desired standard guns in minimum possible time.

  11. This is why Indian army suck they aren't good at artillery brigades.

    As early as 1997 military observers had concluded that the Indian Army's Arty forces are the best organized for battle in every terrain and situation. Came Kargil in 1999 and that expertise showed, where for the first time Arty made nonsense of conventional thinking on force ratios. When the battle started every two-bit expert like Konglor kept muttering how defenders have an advantage of 3:1 in ht eplains and 9:1 in the heights. As Tololing, Tiger Hill etc., fell like nine pins, the experts were toast.

    Artillery is the king of the battlefield; and the Indian Army is the king of Arty everywhere.

  12. WELL LETS TAKE THE GUNS COZ IT WILL HELP IN WARDING OF THE CHINKIS AND THE PAKIS FROM OUR MOUNTAINS. I HOPE THAT THE DRDO WILL COME UP WITH AN ADVANCED CANNON THEY HAD PLANED A 172 MM (SHIV HAD MENTIONED SOME TIME BACK)HOPE IT GETS A GREEN FROM THE GOVERNMENT IT HAS SOME ADDED ADVANTAGES BESIDES LONG RANGE

  13. shiv pls dont allow konglor96 comments. he is openly abusing our nation and army, healthy comments are ok it exposes our weakness. no doubt he is an anti indian . pls pls dont allow such coomments.

    Dr. vijeth

    u dont need to allow my comment either.

  14. The Pinaka is a capable system, but it cannot completely replace traditional guns like the M-777.

    Pinaka can probably replace traditional artillery in deserts and plains, but it can't be deployed in remote high altitude regions, and that's where the M777 comes in.

  15. The Pinaka is a capable system, but it cannot completely replace traditional guns like the M-777.

    Pinaka can probably replace traditional artillery in deserts and plains, but it can't be deployed in remote high altitude regions, and that's where the M777 comes in.

  16. While I admire the Army for having such strict GSQR requirements which make the supposedly #1 howitzer in the world fail to qualify, I am truly deeply worried if and when a DRDO developed gun would pass muster with the Army.

    God bless the DRDO gun and hope it gets acceptance from the Army whenever the DRDO gun is developed.

    Tats

  17. The companies blacklisted so far have been done so on flimsy grounds. Even the slightest allegation can cause AK Antony and co to blacklist somebody. As a result Pakistani elements have been working to spread allegations everywhere, leading to this ridiculous situation where almost every artillery manufacturer in the world has been blacklisted.

    Come on, you seriously believe all of them were corrupt? Our corrupt and inept Defence Ministry deserves to be used as target practice for the M777.

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