300 SP and tracked 155-mm Howitzers from South Africa

sukhoi47 · September 22nd, 2004

Posted online: Monday, September 20, 2004 at 0220 hours IST

Defence Secretary Ajai Vikram Singh is learnt to have sent the contract file to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee this month. The much-awaited self-propelled gun contract will be sent to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final clearance at the political level.

The contract involves purchase of 100 T-6 tracked Howitzers on Bhim chassis (used for Arjun Main battle tank), 180 G-6 self-propelled guns and another 20 SP guns for general reserves from South Africaâ€™s Denel Corporation.

While the deal with the South African firm was finalised by the Army Headquarters in November 2003, it could not be cleared by the previous NDA government due to the general elections. The gun contract was reviewed again by the UPA

Government and will shortly get a green signal from the Central Government.

However, the Army Headquarters had a lot of explaining to do on the deal before the Defence Ministry cleared the contract. Soon after coming to power, Minister of State for Tourism Renuka Chowdhury wrote to the Defence Ministry for reviewing the Denel contract and endorsed the Russian self-propelled gun. This was not Renukaâ€™s first letter, though. Only last year, she and another senior Congress MP (who is now a Cabinet Minister) wrote similar letters on the contract.

The Army had to clarify in detail to the Defence Ministry that they could not consider the Russian gun as it did not meet the requirements. The Army said the Russian gun was of 152-mm calibre and the worldwide and Indian standards for the self-propelled gun were 155 mm.

Apart from the Armyâ€™s requirement for a self-propelled Howitzer and the fact that Denel G-6 gun is a proven weapon system, the deal is one of the facets of Indiaâ€™s growing relationship with South Africa and Brazil.

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_st...ntent_id=55482

What is the bitch (Renuka) problem. Another corrupt idiot

tatra · September 22nd, 2004

What BS, the Russians offer 155mm export versions of these:
- 2S19M1 TRACKED ARMOURED SELF-PROPELLED GUN aka MSTA-S (tracked)
- 2A65 aka MSTA-B (towed)
- MSTA-K (truck mounted)

darklegent · September 28th, 2004

All the mentioned above systems are as per Soviet / Russian spec. : 152mm. The 155mm are availible but not used by any other known standing army. Anyways the range for the same is no where close to what the Indian Army is lookin for.

tatra · September 28th, 2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by darklegent

All the mentioned above systems are as per Soviet / Russian spec. : 152mm. The 155mm are availible but not used by any other known standing army. Anyways the range for the same is no where close to what the Indian Army is lookin for.

Yeah, those are 152mm systems but they also come in 155mm. I suppose you mean those particular 3 systems are not in any standing army's use in 155mm version? You're not counting the 152mm versions in the russian army then are you?

What range is the Indian army looking for anyway? The MSTA series can fire most existing 152mm howitzer projectiles. A new family has been specifically designed for the MSTA series. The latest FRAG-HE projectile has a maximum range of 24,700m, but a FRAG-HE with a base bleed (BB) unit added can reach to 29,000m. A RAP projectile can be fired to ranges as great as 36,000-40,000 meters.

There is also a cargo round containing 42 dual purpose (anti-personnel and armor-penetrating) bomblets, each containing 45 grams of explosives. Another novel projectile dispenses small radio transmitters intended to jam enemy communications. Other types of ammunition can also be fired including illuminating, incendiary, smoke and tactical nuclear.

sukhoi47 · September 30th, 2004

http://www.business-standard.com/co....;autono=168492

PSU defence and earth moving equipment maker Bharat Earth Movers (BEML) is close to bagging a Rs 968 crore defence order. The company says, it has completed price negotiations for the manufacture of 100 Bhim T6 self-propelled guns and it expects to clinch firm orders in the next three months.

BEML chairman V R S Natarajan said, the Arjun Main Battle Tank variant 155mm, 52 calibre artillery gun system will be manufactured in collaboration with LIW Denel South Africa. While BEML will make the undercarriage and the hull, the turret and the gun will be sourced from Denel. According to the agreement, Denel will offer the technology free to BEML, he added.

BEML expects further orders after the delivery of the first batch. This, officials said, will expand the portfolio to tanks and guns. Incidentally, the order follows a Rs 1,000 crore three-year supply deal in March this year for 228 armoured recovery vehicles.

http://news.newkerala.com/india-new....s&id=33981

We have also secured an order to manufacture and supply about 100 tanks of the prestigious Bhim-T6, a self-propelled 155mm 52-calibre artillery gun system, which will be a variant of the main battle tank (MBT) Arjun.

"The Bhim-T6 tanks will be rolled out in collaboration with LIW Denel of South Africa at a cost of Rs. 91 million per unit. The deal includes transfer of technology by the SA firm free of cost," Natarajan disclosed.

BEML will make the hull and undercarriage of the tanks while Denel will supply the gun and the turret.

As part of its commitment to the defence sector, the company has delivered open rail wagons for transporting tanks to armed forces, opening a new line of business activity to produce more such wagons to the other services.

"We have developed a 50-tonne vehicle with a 12 twin-wheeled heavy duty full trailer, designed for rough terrain and transporting battle tanks," Natarajan said.

dabrownguy · October 1st, 2004

Perhaps this is where the Arjun Chasis are going to. It would also explain the low intial number of Arjuns.