The Indian army's ambitious artillery modernisation programme has been derailed several times in the past, but fresh thrust has now been given to the hunt for new guns.

The Indian army is looking to replace its old 105mm light field guns with a mix of towed, mounted and wheeled artillery.

The Defense Acquisition Council of India, which clears high-value military procurements, issued the tender after holding its first meeting under new Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar.

The high-value bid comes as India seeks to replace its old 105mm light field guns with a mix of towed, mounted and wheeled artillery.

The defense council of India also considered a proposal by global aircraft major Airbus Defense and Space and India’s Tata Advanced Systems Ltd to offer the Airbus C295 medium transport to replace the air force’s fleet of 56 Avro aircraft. India’s right-wing government, which swept to power in May, has pledged to streamline and speed up the procurement process which was hit by delays and corruption allegations during the previous Congress coalition.

Indian 105mm Light Field Gun is the primary artillery piece used in mass over Indian terrain by Indian Army, It was introduced in 1980s and considered one of the best in the world in terms of weight and its range which surpass Russian equivalent 122-mm D-30 field guns, It was also used in Kargil war in mass and more active then any other artillery piece during the war, Providing suppressive fire support for Infantry.