Sources in the defence and security establishment said National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan discussed the issue in Washington earlier this month.

The two sides are in talks to develop a new version of the artillery gun called the M777 ER (Extended Range), said sources. It is learnt that the 145 howitzers currently in use by the Army could also be converted into extended range.

Sources also said that even the US military does not have the proposed version of the M777 and that its development would entail the production of a specialised kit, besides a new barrel.

There is scope for India to produce the guns indigenously, export them and become part of the global supply chain for the American artillery system manufactured by BAE Systems.

The maximum firing range of the M777 howitzer is 24.7 km with unassisted rounds and 30 km with rocket-assisted rounds. It can also fire specialised ammunition that can extend its range to about 40 km.

Sources said the idea is to extend the actual range of the gun as a standalone entity, while also developing longer-range munitions. 

The Indian side has been very clear that there is a need to convert intentions and ideas into actions and specific deliverables through focussed steps in a time-bound manner.

India had specifically gone in for procurement of the 155mm/39 calibre M777 howitzer, which is meant for use on mountainous terrain.

All M777 howitzers currently in use by the Army have been deployed along the LAC with a heavy concentration in the northeast, which is flush with mountainous terrain and multiple passes that make normal transportation of artillery systems a challenging and arduous task.

While 25 howitzers were delivered off the shelf, the rest were assembled in India by Mahindra Defence, which has a tie-up with BAE Systems.

In 2018, India purchased 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers that can carry the M777s as an underslung load. The choppers were delivered by Boeing in 2020.

What is M777 howitzer

Developed for the US Marine Corps and the US Army to replace M198 towed 155mm howitzers in 1997, the gun — unlike traditional artillery systems — is ideal for quick transport owing to its weight.

It is largely made up of titanium and titanium castings and each unit weighs less than 4,000 kg.

The M777 is capable of firing four rounds per minute of intense firing and two rounds per minute of sustained firing.

Incidentally, while the M777 has seen action in Afghanistan, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has thrown up some key issues with the artillery gun.

The US had sent over at least 142 M777s to Ukraine, and the Ukrainian troops have been using them extensively to target Russian positions.

According to one report by The New York Times, Ukrainian forces are firing 2,000 to 4,000 artillery shells a day. Over time, that pace has caused problems for Ukrainian soldiers using the M777, such as shells not travelling as far or as accurately, the report said. Some of the issues can be traced, in part, to the howitzer’s design, it added.

“Built largely with titanium, which is lighter than steel but just as strong, the weapon is easier to move on the battlefield and quicker to set up than earlier guns — a clear advantage for the United States when it began using the M777 in Iraq and Afghanistan in the early 2000s. In those wars, unlike in Ukraine, the M777 was generally used to fire small numbers of shells in support of troops,” said the report.

Moreover, the M777 howitzers have to undergo frequent repairs, and a change of barrel becomes a necessity in many cases because of their extensive firepower.

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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.

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Johnson said the defense cooperation pact would boost procurement across several areas, but offered few details during a press conference wrapping up the two-day visit to India. The trip was aimed principally at progressing talks about a free trade deal between the nations.

But Johnson said the two countries would seek closer defense procurement “to meet threats across land, sea and air, space and cyber, including partnering on new fighter jet technology [and] maritime technologies to detect and respond to threats in the oceans.”

The reference to a fighter technology partnership likely relates to British efforts to bring India onboard its sixth-generation Tempest Future Combat Air System program.

The program, launched by the British in 2018, has been the subject of talks with India for some time as part of a broader push to attract international partners into development of a combat jet with an in-service date of around the middle of the next decade.

Britain is already partnering with Italy and Sweden in the technology development effort and recently agreed to cooperate with Japan on sensor and propulsion systems.

BAE Systems, Leonardo, MBDA, Rolls-Royce and Saab are leading the early phases of the technology development program.

A statement issued by the British High Commission in India said both leaders “noted cooperation in key areas of strategic collaboration including modern fighter aircraft and jet engine advanced core technology.”

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the statement he “welcomed the UK announcement of an ‘open general export license’ [in defense] to facilitate technology engagement with India, and the open opportunity for India to participate in the UK’s aviation and naval shipbuilding programs.”

On the maritime front, the two sides have agreed to partner on electric propulsion capability.

Johnson said the arrangement would boost Indian efforts to increase the percentage of defense procurement manufactured locally.

“We have agreed to a new and expanded defense and security partnership, a decades-long commitment that will not only forge tighter bonds between us, but support your goal of Make in India,” he said, referring to India’s drive for greater domestic manufacturing in the defense sector.

India is one of the world’s largest importers of defense technology, but it’s a market dominated by Russia, which accounts for more than 50% of inward sales.

India has come under criticism from the UK and US over the refusal by Modi to condemn the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, but the issue appeared to be sidelined during the talks between the two sides.

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