Artillery: The Indian Light Artillery

Archives

January 31, 2010:  India is joining the United States, Canada and Australia in using the M-777 towed 155mm howitzer. India has asked the United States to sell them 145 of the lightweight M-777 howitzers, for about $4.5 million each. India is particularly attracted by the fact that the M-777 can be moved slung under a helicopter, and quickly moved to inaccessible areas.

The M-777 is a British design and, at four tons, is the lightest 155mm towed howitzer ever fielded. M-777 Fire control is handled by computerized system that allows faster response time and more accurate shooting. The M777 can use all current 155mm ammunition, including the Swedish/American GPS guided Excalibur shell. The guided round cuts ammo use enormously. India uses a similar Russian guided shell called Krasnopol. The helicopter is the preferred method of moving the M-777 across rough terrain. An M-777 on a mountain top, with a few dozen Excalibur or Krasnopol rounds, provides precision fire support for troops within a 30-40 kilometer radius. Indian land borders are largely mountainous, and difficult to reach by land routes, especially for artillery that could not be flown in. The M-777 changes that.

 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close