Arunachal: Army deploys M-777 howitzers in locations along LAC
"The ultra-light M-777 can be transported quickly in Chinook helicopters.
NAMSAI- The Indian Army has deployed a significant number of easily transportable M-777 ultra-light howitzers in mountainous regions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, military officials said on Thursday.
The Army’s bolstering of firepower in the forward locations of Arunachal Pradesh comes after the howitzers were deployed in several sensitive areas in the Ladakh sector amid the lingering border standoff with China.
India has been ramping up its overall military might in all strategically key areas along the nearly 3,500-km-long LAC after the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020 that triggered a major escalation in tensions between the Indian and Chinese armies.
Army officials said the deployment of M-777 howitzers coupled with additional air assets including unmanned aerial vehicles, military aircraft and surveillance equipment has enhanced India’s military preparedness in the Arunachal Pradesh sector.
The Army faced the difficulty of transporting heavy artillery guns in the mountainous regions but the deployment of ultra-light howitzers has addressed the challenge. “The ultra-light M-777 can be transported quickly in Chinook helicopters.
We now have the flexibility of quickly moving them from one place to another based on operational requirements,” a senior official told. “Now we are in a much better position to deal with any eventualities,” he added.
The Army deployed M-777 guns in Bum-La last year but now the howitzers are being pressed into service in Arunachal Pradesh’s RALP area, comprising several key mountainous regions. The M-777 artillery guns, having a maximum range of 30 km and manufactured by the BAE Systems, were first received by the Army in 2018.
