Union Defence Ministry gives nod for purchase of 145 Ultra Light Howitzers guns from the US

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has given its approval to for the purchase of 145 Ultra-Light Howitzers (ULH) guns from the US.
The procurement of ULH will be through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route from the US and it will cost around 750 million dollars.
As part of this deal, 25 ULH guns will come to India directly from US in a fly away condition. Rest will be assembled in India at the proposed Assembly Integration and Test facility (AITF) for the weapon system in partnership with Mahindra and Mahindra Company.

Ultra-Light Howitzers (ULH) Guns

• It is being manufactured by BAE Systems’ Global Combat Systems division. It is smaller and lighter. It weighs 4,100 kg and can be easily transported by helicopters.
• It has effective firing range of 24 km. It will be deployed in high altitude areas in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh, bordering China under the Mountain Strike Corps (raised in 2013).

Besides, DAC also approved

• Acquisition of five diving support craft for 150 crore rupees
• 386-crore rupees project for modernisation and augmentation of facilities at naval dockyard and naval ship repair yards.
• Buying of indigenously made simulators for Jaguar aircraft for 500 crore rupees and setting up of an electronic warfare range for 1,300 crore rupees through indigenous capability.

DAC also asked Ordnance Factory Board (Jabalpur) to provide three 155 mm 45 caliber indigenously produced guns Dhanush to Indian Army by end of June 2016. Dhanush is also known as Desi Bofors.
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC): It is an apex body of Union Defence Ministry for clearing defence procurement proposals forwarded by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2016