The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a fresh Request for Information (RFI) to acquire a 155mm/52 caliber towed howitzer or gun system for the Indian Army for modernizing artillery regiments as part of a plan drafted in 1999.
The RFI envisages that the weight of the gun system “be preferably less than 15 tons”.
The operational requirements and intended use of the equipment includes of:
(a) Calibre. Procurement 155/ 52 Calibre Mounted Gun System to be employed in plains, Mountain, semi desert and desert terrain for execution of Artillery tasks.
(b) Ammunition. 155/ 52 Calibre Gun System should be able to fire all in-service ammunition at the time of trials and precision ammunition under procurement.
(c) Mobility. The vehicle of 155/ 52 Calibre Mounted Gun System should have capability to operate in existing road and track network existing and created in mountain and desert terrain in own Northern and Western Borders.
(d) Fire Control System (FCS). 155 mm/ 52 Calibre Gun System should have Inertial Navigation System based sight system with capability to orient and fixing the location of the Gun System. The FCS should also have capability to provide day and night direct and indirect firing. FCS should be compatible to Project SHAKTI.
(e) Maint. 155 mm/ 52 Calibre Gun System should have Built in test facility (BITE) to support fault finding and repairs of the equipment.
(f) Standardization. All components/ sub-assemblies should confirm to relevant MIL STD(S) / JSS-55555 or equipment internationally accepted standards.
Further as per the RFI, the vendor has to undertake 5% offset.
