New Delhi: The test-firing of the US Howitzers guns in Pokhran in Rajasthan is primarily aimed at collating and determining various critical data like trajectory, speed and frequency of fire of the M-777 A-2 ultra-light howitzers (ULH) which are expected to be mostly deployed along the border with China.

The two M777s, which have arrived in India recently, are part of the 25 ready-to-use weapons to be supplied by the BAE over the next two years. Three more guns will be supplied to the Army in September, 2018 for training. 

As per the deal, 120 remaining howitzers would be produced in India under the ‘Make in India’ programme in collaboration between BAE and India’s Mahindra Defence in Faridabad.

In 2016, India had signed a government-to-government deal for the 145 M777 guns from the US at a cost of around $750 million (Approximately Rs. 5000 Crore) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. The talks for the deal, however, started way back in 2010.