Posted on 02/18/2010 12:01:50 AM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Indian Army has postponed the winter trials for procuring 155 mm towed howitzers after St Kinetics expressed inability to bring its gun for field- testing due to an accident in Singapore.
"The winter trials will now be held in October as one of the two contenders, St Kinetics, said its gun was damaged in an accident in Singapore and would be able to arrive in India only after March," Army officials said here.
St Kinetics senior executive Brig Gen Patrick Choy said the accident occurred when the gun was being transported to India.
"We have to cut some parts on the gun which were damaged in the accident. We will definitely have the guns in India by April and it will take part in the summer trials," he said.
Facing obsolescence in Artillery, the Indian Army is planning to procure 400 towed howitzers and BAE Systems and the Singaporean St Kinetics are the two contenders offering their platforms.
The field trials have already been delayed as they were put on hold after St Kinetics' name surfaced in a CBI case for allegedly bribing Ordnance Factory Board officials.
After the government decided to allow tainted firms to participate in defence contracts till the time the probe was on, the Army decided to hold the winter trials in Leh in February and March
(Excerpt) Read more at brahmand.com ...
I don’t get real warm fuzzies about a gun this fragile.
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