New delhi, Dec 1: India has signed a deal with US to procure new howitzer guns worth Rs 5,000 crores. The new guns will be M 777 ultra light howitzer and will be received by India by 2017 in a government to government deal. These are the first batch of guns acquired by India ever since after the infamous boors scam broke out 30 years ago.

The contract makes USA one of the biggest suppliers of defines technology in recent times and has already bagged deals worth $15 billion since 2007. 

The first batch of the guns will be delivered mid 2017 onwards, 120 will be assembled, integrated and tested in India with artillery manufacturer BAE systems selecting Mahindra as its business partners.

The army has long demanded an upgrade in its stock of arty guns with a range of at least 25 ams for over a decade now since such guns can be airlifted swiftly to active zones in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh along with the LAC shared with China. 

The M 777 will be equipping the new 17 Mountain Strike Corps being raised for deterrence purpose along the LAC. The modernisation drive will further see India procure Rs 1 lakh crore , induction of 814 mounted , 1580 towed and 180 wheeled along with 100 tracked guns.