NEW DELHI: The Army’s high-level probe into the leak of field trial report of M777 ultra light howitzer has brought some recently retired Artillery Officers under scanner and their links with a rival company that had missed the contract last time were being examined. The Army does not want the incident to scuttle the process of gun procurement as it can not afford another delay that could mean a major setback for the artillery modernisation programme frozen after the Bofors scandal.
The performance of M777 ultra light howitzers in the trial was still being evaluated and the process was not over yet contrary to the impression made by leaked reports claiming that the gun, meant for the deployment in high altitude areas, had failed trials. The Army is looking to buy 145 M777 ultra light howitzers, manufactured by the BAE Systems that also now owns AB Bofors which had supplied 155 mm Bofors guns to the Indian Army in the 1980s.