BAE Systems has announced selection of Mahindra as its India partner for the nearly $700 million deal for the supply of 145 M777 Howitzers. The gun deal would be through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) but the “spares, maintenance and ammunition will be operated through Indian systems”. M777 Howitzers are ultralight weight artillery guns having a strike range of 25 kms.

India and the United States are in discussion for supply of 145 M777A2 LW155 Howitzers for the Indian Army. Last year, BAE developed and submitted a US government-supported proposal offering a higher degree of indigenisation on the M777 weapon system.

Joe Senftle, vice president and general manager, Weapon Systems, BAE Systems said that as a founding partner of defence manufacturing in India, BAE Systems “is pleased to partner with Mahindra.”

BAE Systems

• BAE Systems was formed on 30 November 1999 by the £7.7 billion merger of British Aerospace (BAe) and Marconi Electronic Systems (MES).
• BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London in the United Kingdom and with operations worldwide.
• It is among the world’s largest defence contractors.
• Its largest operations are in the United Kingdom and United States, where its BAE Systems Inc. subsidiary is one of the six largest suppliers to the US Department of Defense.