Self-propelled howitzers are essentially artillery systems mounted on tracked vehicles. The SP guns look similar to tanks, but with a larger turret volume. While tanks are generally engaged in combat at a distance of not more than 2,000 metres, SP guns are used to soften targets at far greater distances. The calibre of most modern SP howitzers is 155 mm. In the run-up to the latest trials, a Request for Proposals has gone out from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for matching a 155 mm SP howitzer turret on the indigenously designed Arjun MBT chassis. The two companies that have responded are the British firm Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited (VSEL) and the South African defence giant Denel Corporation's LIWdivision.

The testing is going to be conducted on a `no cost no commitment' basis, said Army Headquarter sources. VSEL will `marry' its AS90, and LIW its T6 turret with an Arjun MBT chassis. Both systems fire the mandatory 155mm/52 calibre ammunition. VSEL is also reported to have signed up Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited to be its local partners, according to MoD sources.

The testing process will begin in June with a research and development assessment in the Artillery Centre at Deolali. From there the systems will be moved to Pokhran field firing ranges for troop and mobility trials. The final stage of the trials will be in the mountainous parts of India's North East. As and when they are inducted into the Army, the SP guns are Army set to test HowitzersÎmost likely to be deployed in the desert and the North East, said military sources. While the total projected requirement for SP guns is in the vicinity of 400 systems, there is no move to include ammunition supplies as part of this howitzer deal.Decision makers in MoD are confident that the new ordnance factory at Bolangir, Orissa, would be able to manufacture 155mm/52 calibre rounds. The SP howitzers are likely to be manufactured in India through a transfer of technology contract, said MoD sources.

With the SP gun turrets finally being matched with an Arjun MBT chassis, the Army could be well on its way to overcoming a fundamental shortcoming in its operational structure. It is the only major Army in the world which does not have a 155mm SP howitzer in its arsenal. But the road to this new, and optimistic, turn around has been nothing less than rocky. The search for a SP system first counted on using the Vijayanta chassis. VSEL was involved in that bid as well, back in 1987-88, explained Army HQ sources. Subsequently efforts, until two years ago, got underway to mate the various SP turrets to the indigenously manufactured T72 M1 chassis. While the Vijayanta experiment was abandoned with India's inability to maintain the quality of productionrequired, the T72 trials met with failure because the engine was just not powerful enough, leading to repeated overheating problems, said the MoD sources. The participants in the T72 tests included, besides VSEL and Denel, the French GIAT and the Slovak Karmetal firms as well. All competitors, said Army sources, suffered from seriously overheating engines.

The decision to, finally, fall back on the Arjun MBT chassis brings the SP gun issue back into the reckoning. Since the future strike formations of the Army are going to be mounted on the Arjun MBTs, it makes sense for the supporting SP howitzer to also be using the same chassis and engine. ``While it will help the SP guns to keep up with the MBTs, a common platform goes a long way in taking care of maintenance problems. So many of the parts will then be interchangeable, making the tasks much easier for the field workshops'', said an Army officer serving with one of the Artillery regiments.

There is also a belief in the MoD that with making a success ofthe SP turret-Arjun chassis experiment, India could well be in the market for a viable howitzer. A efficacious mix of the transfer of technology and Arjun chassis pacts, say MoD sources, there is a significant export potential.

``We have to demonstrate our potential to succeed, only then will the markets take us seriously'', said a senior MoD official.