The trials for the towed 52cal 155mm howitzers, which were suppose to start this month after the DefExpo 2010, as announced by the Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor during the army day press conference now stand deferred to next winters. BAE systems’ FH77 B05, which is the prime contender for the contract confirmed it to FORCE. The unexpected snowfall and avalanche in Kashmir where the winter trials were scheduled has disrupted the schedule, Goran Karlsson, FH77 Business Development, BAE Systems told FORCE at the DefExpo. These will be held next winters now, however, the summer trials will proceed as per schedule in Rajasthan.

The FH77 B05, an upgraded version of the FH77 B02 (already with the Indian Army), meets all the requirements and expectations of the Indian Army, Karlsson said. The production of the gun will be carried out in India by the Defence Land Systems, a joint venture company of Mahindra & Mahindra and BAE. The gun at moment is registering a towering presence at the Defence Land Systems stand at the DefExpo. The upgraded howitzer has all round greater performance including increased range over the 39cal FH77 B02. With the latest in advanced ballistic calculation and laying servos, the FH77 B05 Howitzer comes with a high level of automation suitable for the Indian Army. The new gun computer also has a man-machine interface similar to that found in standard commercial PCs. This facilitates training and operation, ensuring better speed, accuracy and safety when firing. The gun has been tested for the extreme weather conditions to match the Indian climate.