India’s Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the acquisition 145 M777 ultra light weight howitzers from the United States. 25 of the howitzers will be delivered from the US and 120 delivered from an Indian assembly and integration facility created in India by Mahindra. The contract is expected to be worth about $750. DAC also approved serial production of the indigenous 155mm Dhanush self-propelled howitzers, comprising the Bofors FH77 howitzer mounted on a self-propelled platform. The procurement marks the first time the Indian Army is buying new artillery systems in three decades, following the Bofors acquisition scandal in 1987.
