Technology

Indian Army Demonstrates One of the World‘s ’Deadliest Artillery Pieces’ With Flair

It’s not every day you get to see a 155mm Field Howtizer 77B strut its stuff. It’s also not every day the military demonstrates it to civilians.

So, as you might imagine, there are different measures that would take place in such an event, such as the military adding a bit of fanfare to the demonstration. In a video posted back in January that Gizmodo has recently called up, the Indian army shows off what one of the world’s “deadliest artillery pieces” can do — along with the fancy footwork the army is capable of.

Demonstration of 155mm Field Howitzer 77B to Civilians Includes Fancy Footwork by Indian Army

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Demonstration of 155mm Field Howitzer 77B to Civilians Includes Fancy Footwork by Indian Army

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Demonstration of 155mm Field Howitzer 77B to Civilians Includes Fancy Footwork by Indian Army

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Check it out:

According to the description on the YouTube post, the “synchronous jogging“ is ”just a military parade” for the show that they would not normally do should they be using the weapon in an attack. With all the Pomp and Circumstance, Gizmodo describes the show as “hilarious,“ saying one might think it was a joke ”until the terrifying explosion at the end.”

This weapon is also notorious in India for a scandal in the 1980s and 1990s involving the Swedish weapons manufacturer Bofors, which supplied it. Global Security reports on this history:

Bofors delivered 410 FH-77BS towed howitzers to India from 1986 to 1990 but, following allegations of kickbacks, India froze plans to put the weapon into production and blacklisted the company. Under the $1.3 billion Bofors gun deal signed by the Rajiv Gandhi government on 24 March 1986, the Swedish armaments company was to supply 410 field howitzers, spare parts, ammunition of six types, fire-control equipment, and technical literature to India. The Indian government imposed an embargo on Bofors after it was revealed that the Swedish company had paid $50 million in kickbacks to secure the 1986 howitzer deal. The purchase led to a scandal of pay offs involving the Bofors Agent Win Chaddha, involvement of the Hinduja brothers of the UK and Italian businessman Ottavio Quatrochhi, who absconded to Malaysia. The allegations of kickbacks associated with the gun deal ripped apart the Congress and created a major political storm in India that has lasted over a decade.

Global Security describes it as “one of the world’s most revolutionary towed field artillery systems.”

This article has been updated since its original posting to correct a mistake. 

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