`Malfunctioning of ammunition damaged Howitzer's barrel'

JODHPUR: If sources are to be believed, preliminary findings are citing malfunctioning of the ammunition made in India as the reason for the damage to the barrel of the one of the two M-777 155mm, 39caliber Ultra Lightweight Howitzers (ULH) during the trials in Pokhran on September 2.
It is to be mentioned that the guns reached India on May 18 this year.Officials shared that the ammunition made in India that resulted in the damage was supplied by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for trials on Howitzers at Pokhran Field Firing Ranges in the desert state here.
As per the Army officials, it so happened that the gun being acquired through foreign military sales (FMS) route was firing the Indian ammunition and the projectile, instead of ejecting out in the single piece, ejected from the barrel in multiple pieces during field firing trials thereby damaging the barrel of the artillery gun which reached Indian after a three decade wait in May . Officials further said that the field firing is aimed at compilation of firing tables.
Officials had shared that during the firing on Sep 2, 2017, the projectile which was fifth of the series; exited the barrel in multiple pieces, thus causing the accident. This incident is being jointly investigated by both Army and BAE to assess the exact cause and extent of the damage to the gun.
It was on May 18, that two M-777 155mm, 39caliber ULH, the first amongst the lot of artillery guns for Army from the BAE Systems reached India in a chartered aircraft and were further brought to Pokhran field firing range here for a three month long test bed fires for `preparation of firing tables'. Following this, the guns with a strike range of 24-40 km (depending on kind of ammunition used) were to be tested for different kinds of indigenous 155mm Indian ammunition for drawing out the firing tables and calibration of the range of the guns with different kinds of ammunition for hitting the target etc.
These ultra-light guns weighing a little over four tonnes shall arm the new 17 Mountain Strike Corps being raised by Indian Army with unparalleled rapid reaction and deterrence capabilities along the treacherous mountainous terrains of Indo-China border.
Further test-firing has been suspended
As per the contract agreement, firing tables were to be prepared by the contracted agency i.e. US government and BAE GCS Ltd with support of Indian Army.Three more guns were to be received in the second stage in September 2018 for training.Thereafter, induction will commence March 2019 onwards at the rate of five guns per month till complete consignment is received by mid-2021.As of now, further test firing has been suspended.