The US gives India upgraded M777 guns and Stryker armoured vehicles

The Pentagon is set to offer New Delhi the “Stryker” family of eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicles and an upgrade of M777 towed howitzers, in addition to MQ-9 Reaper drones and the production of GE-F414 aircraft engines in India under 100% technology transfer, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Joe Biden on Thursday in Washington.

While the final decision on the Stryker and the upgrade of the M777 light weight howitzer depends on the terms offered by the US, officials based in New Delhi and Washington claim that the defence equipment deals will be an important part of the outcomes of the visit, which will also see the signing of a deal with Micron for a $ 2.7 billion chip plant in India and a deal on quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

The Stryker is an eight into eight wheel drive V-hull armoured infantry vehicle made by General Dynamics Land Systems for quick combat reaction to any insurgent or warlike scenario. The US army and NATO troops utilised the Stryker effectively to combat the Taliban in Afghanistan, arming it with a 30 mm cannon and 105 mm mobile gun. The US is supplying India with infantry combat vehicles, and the Modi administration is keen to localise the production of armoured vehicles through the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” method.

There are already 145 M777 howitzers in service in India, 120 of which were produced by Mahindra Defence Systems in a partnership with BAE Systems.
There are already 145 M777 howitzers in service in India, 120 of which were produced by Mahindra Defence Systems in a partnership with BAE Systems.
Read: India will purchase drones when Modi is in the US. 5 things to know about lethal MQ-9B Reapers
In order to combat the artillery threat on India’s northern frontiers, the US is also reportedly proposing to modernise 155 mm M777 howitzers with precision-guided long range ammunition. There are already 145 M777 howitzers in service in India, 120 of which were produced by Mahindra Defence Systems in a partnership with BAE Systems. Due to the M777’s modest weight, it may be flown by helicopter to mountain summits in Jammu and Kashmir or Arunachal Pradesh in the event of an emergency.

The joint statement released at the conclusion of PM Modi’s visit to the US would represent the mutual convergence even though India and the US already have an MoU for cyber security cooperation.

The largest transaction is anticipated to be for the F-414 aircraft engines that will power domestically produced fighters over the next ten years as well as “hunter-killer” Reaper drones that will help India combat China, which possesses armed drones and has also supplied them to Pakistan.