The Indian Army has barred South African artillery major Denel from fresh trials for the acquisition of the upgraded 155MM artillery guns slated for early next year.

Two major companies Swedish SWS and Israeli Soltam have been called for an unprecedented fourth trial to be held in Leh in Jammu and Kashmir [Images] in February to test the guns in winter conditions and in Pokhran in June, according to army sources in New Delhi.

•  Bofors: Supreme Court has a few questions

Denel, which is being investigated by CBI for alleged payoffs in supply of Anti-Material Rifle deal, had participated in the three rounds of trials held in 2002 and 2003 under the erstwhile NDA regime in which, according to army evaluation reports, the Swedish Bofors guns outperformed the South African and Israeli guns.

Apparently wary of controversy in the wake of the Bofors experience, the Defence Ministry has told the army to come out with clear-cut recommendations on the evaluation of the guns and the army has pushed for fresh validation.

Though the Swedish company has conveyed its readiness to participate in the new trials, a question mark still looms over the participation of Israeli company Soltam. In the last round of trials held in Sikkim, the Soltam gun's turret broke down and the trials remained incomplete.

As part of its modernisation programme, the army is seeking to induct 400 155MM guns of .52 calibre.

Top army commanders at a recent conference held in New Delhi had expressed serious concern over the undue delay in acquiring these  guns.

The CBI has sought government's nod to seek more details about the alleged pay-offs by Denel from the South African company itself as well as from Britain about the British intermediary who reportedly helped clinch the deal.

The army commanders' concern comes in the wake of setback to the Artillery's 15-year perspective plan under which the upgraded 155MM guns were to be inducted by the year 2001.     

The Indian Army, presently has only 400 Bofors 155MM guns of .39 calibre in operation in frontline.

But army sources said due to acute shortage of spares and servicing facilities, only half of these guns were operational.

During the Kargil crisis, army had to cannibalise to make most of these guns operational and even going to the extent of
shifting 155MM guns from the eastern theatre to Kargil.

Army had recently gone in for upgradation of the Russian 130MM guns with Israeli company Soltam, but the programme is facing teething problems as the upgraded guns are witnessing major breakdowns after firing of initial rounds.

The Comptroller and Auditor General, in his latest report, had pulled up the government for tardy progress in technology transfer for upgradation of these guns.