In 2017, India received a batch of howitzers purchased from the United States, and the Indians felt that this was stable and the combat effectiveness could be greatly improved. However, just when they were complacent, an accident completely dumbfounded them.
India, a land of ancient civilizations, is rising at an astonishing rate, with an ambitious desire to play a more important role on the world stage, and its huge population and rapidly growing economic power provide a solid foundation for India's "dream of a great power", and the rise of military power is seen as a key step in realizing this dream.
For a long time, India has been highly dependent on arms imports, especially those from Europe and the United States, "high-precision" equipment, it seems that as long as a lot of money is spent, it can quickly arm a powerful army, but the reality has poured basins of cold water on India, and the huge gap between the frequently staged "buyer show" and "seller show" has made India bear the embarrassing label of "people are stupid and have a lot of money".
In 2017, when tensions between India and neighboring Pakistan escalated again in South Asia, India turned to the United States to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a batch of M777 155mm ultralight howitzers.
This weapon, known as one of the "most advanced artillery systems in the world", is highly sought after in the international arms market for its superior performance and powerful firepower, and is also regarded by India as an "artifact" to enhance its mountain combat capabilities.
On September 2, 2017, at the Berkeland test site in Rajasthan, India, a high-profile M777 howitzer test launch ceremony is underway.
With the commander's order, the artillerymen skillfully operated this "weapon of war" from the other side of the ocean, and sent a domestic artillery shell into the chamber, an unexpected scene occurred, the deafening explosion did not come as expected, but was replaced by a dull loud noise, a huge fireball rose from the muzzle, and the dense gunpowder smoke instantly filled the entire test site.
When the smoke cleared, the scene was shocking: the multimillion-dollar M777 howitzer had been unrecognizable, with a twisted barrel and a broken gun carriage, and fragments of various parts scattered around it, as if it had experienced a terrible explosion.
The sudden accident not only disgraced the Indian military, but also caused them huge financial losses, and more worryingly, the accident also injured more than a dozen soldiers, some of them seriously.
After the news broke, there was an uproar in India, and the people questioned the military's procurement decision, accusing them of wasting taxpayers' money and purchasing "tofu scum projects", while the Indian military pointed the finger at the United States, accusing them of selling inferior weapons, and demanding that the United States take responsibility for the matter and compensate for the losses.
In the face of India's accusations, the US side firmly denied it, insisting that there were no problems with the design and manufacture of the M777 howitzer, and attributing the cause of the accident to the Indian side's operational error or the use of substandard shells.
In order to find out the truth, the Indian military set up a special investigation team to conduct an in-depth investigation into the cause of the accident, and the results of the investigation showed that the explosion accident was not the first "performance" of the M777 howitzer, as early as 2011, the US Marine Corps also had an M777 howitzer explosion accident during a military exercise, which undoubtedly intensified the suspicion of the Indian side.
However, the US side gave a different explanation for this, claiming that the shells used by India did not match the M777 howitzers, and the explosive composition and loading density inside the shells did not meet the standards, which may be the direct cause of the explosion.
The accident not only cast a shadow over India's "dream of building a strong army," but also brought a rift to the relations between the United States and India.
In fact, India's problems in arms procurement are a microcosm of the development of India's military industry that has plagued it for a long time, with excessive dependence on imports, lack of independent research and development capabilities, and corruption in the decision-making process all restricting the improvement of India's military strength.
Reference: Global Network "The American howitzer purchased by the Indian army was blown up US media: The shell is made in India"
