Fresh deal for Bofors guns
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 30 — Seeing the performance of Bofors Howitzer guns in the recent Kargil conflict with Pakistan, the Indian government has decided to add its latest version to the Army’s armament.

Apparently the negotiations with Sweden’s Celsius group, which is the firm supplying the guns now, had been under way for some time. But the performance of the guns in the difficult terrain of Kargil left no doubt about their capabilities and clinched the deal in its favour.

Incidentally the decision to buy the latest version of the Howitzers comes despite the fact that the fortnight-old National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government filed a charge sheet on the Bofors scam indicting Octavio Quattrocchi, Martin Ardbo and Win Chadha earlier this week.

Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials said the new deal, when it comes through, would have no connection with the earlier deal.

The decision had been taken purely on the performance of the guns and the Celsius group was not blacklisted by the Indian Government. The fresh deal would be to acquire the latest version of Howitzers.

According to reports, the MoD is all set to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Celsius group, a Swedish ordnance company, for manufacturing Bofors FH-77T Howitzers as well as Carl Gustab anti-tank guns. The Central government has decided to issue a letter of intent to the Swedish company for producing the Howitzer and the anti-tank guns at ordnance factories in India.

The Celsius group had also put up their stall at the recently concluded Defexpo India ’99. Reports said Celcius officials would soon be airlifting both guns to New Delhi for a complete field demonstration.The Bofors FH-77T is an upgraded and advanced version of the Bofors-77B which India already possesses.

The Army purchased 418 Bofors FH-77B Howitzer guns at a cost of Rs 1,450 crore (8.4 billion Swedish croner). Silencing many a critic, the 155-mm Howtizer came through the tough Kargil test with flying colours.

The reports said the new version of the Bofors-FH-77T Howitzer would be mounted on a Volvo transporter for enhanced field mobility.

The transporter would be sourced from a Swedish Automobile manufacturing unit being set up in Bangalore. While the latest Bofors FH-77T was widely acknowledged as one of the best performing Howitzers in use today.