Blacklisting of firm hits artillery modernisation: Army chief
June 12th, 2009 - 7:50 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, June 12 (IANS) The Indian Army’s 23-year wait for new artillery guns - a crucial element of its modernisation drive - has just got longer with the blacklisting on corruption charges of a Singapore firm. Its howitzer was the frontrunner for a Rs.29 billion ($612 million) order for 140 guns, the army chief, Gen. Deepak Kapoor admitted Friday.
“Till the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) is able to complete its investigations, there will be a delay and this will affect the procurement of ultra-light howitzers,” Kapoor told reporters here.
Singapore Technology, whose Pegasus light howitzer was set to undergo field trials, was one of seven defence firms the defence ministry blacklisted June 5 after its name cropped up in a case registered by the CBI against former chief of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) Sudipto Ghosh under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Allegations of money being transferred to personal accounts had prompted the defence ministry to “put on hold” all dealings with the blacklisted firms.
“The Pegasus guns were to be field-tested this summer in Rajasthan. The blacklisting would definitely derail the whole programme,” an army officer said, requesting anonymity.
Singapore Technology was also a contender for a Rs.80 billion order for 400 155mm/52-calibre towed artillery guns as well as the indigenous manufacture of another 1,100 howitzers through the transfer of technology route.
The Indian Army had purchased 410 Bofors 155mm howitzers in 1986 but the deal was mired in corruption charges and the name of then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was dragged in. The Supreme Court eventually found no wrongdoing but the taint stuck to Bofors, as a result of which it was not considered for the new order.
Corruption charges also knocked out the South African Denel gun, leaving Singapore Technologies as the sole contender in the fray.
The Indian Army is now left with just about half of its 410 guns, with normal wear and tear and cannibalisation accounting for the remaining howitzers.
The other six blacklisted companies are Israeli Military Industries, BVT Poland and Media Architects Pvt. Ltd of Singapore and three Indian companies: T.S. Kishan and Co. Pvt. Ltd., R.K. Machine Tools and HYT Engineering Co.
-Indo-Asian News Service
rs/vm/vt
- Blacklisting of firms to hit artillery modernisation: Army chief - Jun 12, 2009
- Army awaits corruption probe, doesn't seek fresh howitzer bids - Jul 03, 2009
- Defence ministry nod for artillery trials - Dec 23, 2009
- Six defence firms banned for 10 years (Lead) - Mar 05, 2012
- Procurements during ordnance board ex-chief's tenure under scanner - Jul 29, 2009
- Israeli firm's blacklisting impacts Indian armed forces' modernisation - Jun 10, 2009
- India bans six defence firms for 10 years (Second Lead) - Mar 05, 2012
- FAQs on Bofors guns and graft row - Apr 25, 2012
- No shortage of artillery guns: Antony - Nov 28, 2011
- Defence ministry rethink on blacklisted firms? - Jul 07, 2009
- Six defence firms banned from Indian ordnance factory deals (Third Lead) - Mar 05, 2012
- Court order or not, Indian Army still grapples with Bofors ghost - Mar 04, 2011
- India may buy howitzers from US - Jan 03, 2010
- India needs to modernise military inventory: Minister (Interview) - Oct 10, 2009
- Auditors slam Indian Army's poor artillery guns buying record - Dec 20, 2011
Tags: 155mm, army chief, army officer, artillery guns, blacklisting, bofors, central bureau of investigation, corruption charges, deepak kapoor, defence firms, defence ministry, denel, frontrunner, howitzer, indian army, ordnance factory board, prevention of corruption act, rajiv gandhi, singapore technologies, singapore technology