Deal is worth around $885 million.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The US is planning to sell India a cache of howitzer weapons for a sum of roughly $885 million.
Word of the sale got around when the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the US Congress of a potential foreign military sale. The howitzers will be armed with a Laser Inertial Artillery Pointing System (LINAPS) and other necessary parts, all included in the estimated cost.
India has stated that it is interested in the howitzers – which are short, ground-based cannon firing systems used to reinforce defenses against potential threats – in order to bring its military up to modern times, and to fortify posts in strategically difficult and highly dangerous areas. The acquisition of new modern weaponry from the US is not expected to negatively impact diplomatic relations in the region, however.
“[The sale] will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the US-India strategic relationship and to improve the security of an important partner which continues to be a for political stability, peace, and economic progress in South Asia,” said the statement the Pentagon sent to Congress in notification of the sale.
The specific type of howitzer being sold to India is mainly the M777, an artillery piece that is 155 mm long and has been in wide usage by the US Army since the war in Afghanistan broke out about 10 years ago. They are relatively small, mobile and powerful weapons, making them preferred by military forces.