British arms company BAE Systems, on 19 October, signed an agreement with Indian components manufacturer PTC Industries to manufacture titanium castings for the Indian 155 mm M777 Ultra-Lightweight Howitzer (ULH). The castings will be produced at PTC Industries’ production facility in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Under the agreement, the companies will jointly produce lightweight titanium castings. They will develop a controlled fabrication process and ensure that the same parts can be manufactured in any future production of the M777 howitzers for India.
The first sub-systems are expected to be produced by the end of 2022.
The manufacturing will eventually be extended to all three of the major structures of the gun namely the Saddle, Cradle, and Lower Carriage.
BAE Systems also said that it may soon manufacture a 52-Calibre 155 mm barrel for the ULH in India. This would make India the first customer to have a 155mm 52-calibre platform under 5,800 kg in weight.
