India to buy 140 Howitzers

NEW DELHI, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- The Indian army says it has invited proposals for the procurement of 140 ultra-light Howitzers.

"As I am interacting with you right now, the request for proposal for procurement of the ultra-Light Howitzer guns has been issued," Army chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor told a news conference. "The RFP for the procurement of 155mm 52-caliber guns would also be issued soon."

"The modernization of Special Forces is also back on track with the Cabinet Committee on Security giving its clearance for procurement of equipment required for these elite units," he said.

Referring to the prospects of the surface-to-air Akash missile currently under trial, he said it still needed to meet some of the requirements.

"The Army did not attend the recent trials. We would expect that once our requirements are properly met, the trials can proceed," Kapoor said.

The Army chief said there was a delay in the transfer of technology from Russia for the T-90 tanks and added he was hopeful that it would be completed soon.

"There is a degree of delay but transfer of technology is a complex process. Sometimes the supplier of technology is not able to explain it properly and at other times the receiver of technology does not understand it well. But in the long run, I am sure this transfer of technology is going to happen," he said.

He said the government had already approved the acquisition of 347 more T-90 tanks.