British arms company BAE Systems, on 19 October,signed an agreement with Indian components manufacturer PTC Industries to manufacture titanium castings for the Indian 155 mm M777 Ultra-Lightweight Howitzer (ULH). The castings will be produced at PTC Industries’ production facility in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
“The production process at PTC Industries is being developed and qualified to deliver the long-term support for the 145 M777s we are delivering to India,” said Duncan Stevenson, the general manager of BAE Systems Weapon Systems UK, which manages the manufacture and assembly of the M777 light-weight howitzers, said.
Under the agreement, the companies will jointly produce lightweight titanium castings. They will develop a controlled fabrication process and ensure that the same parts can be manufactured in any future production of the M777 howitzers for India.
“This agreement will allow BAE Systems and PTC Industries to jointly provide major structures to support the spares and repair programme required to keep the guns available for the Indian Army. It also ensures that the overall ‘Make in India’ content of the ULH is above 60%, which will allow the Government of India to procure any future platforms under a “Make in India” acquisition requirement,” Stevenson added.
The first sub-systems are expected to be produced by the end of 2022.
The manufacturing will eventually be extended to all three of the major structures of the gun namely the Saddle, Cradle, and Lower Carriage.
BAE Systems also said that it may soon manufacture a 52-Calibre 155 mm barrel for the ULH in India. This would make India the first customer to have a 155mm 52-calibre platform under 5,800 kg in weight.
