Bofors unveiled its 155mm L52 automatic howitzers and has offered technology transfer of the guns to India, official sources said on Monday.
Though the state-of-the-art guns have been kept under wraps by the manufacturers Bofors Defence AB, the company has received queries from the United States and Sweden.
"The guns meet Indian requirements. We have invited experts from the Indian Army for demonstrations of the guns in Karlskoga, Sweden," Hakin Kangart, chief of SWS Defence said.
Offering technology transfer for the new-wheeled self-propelled guns and the upgraded towed ones, he said, Bofors was ready to upgrade its 400 155mm guns that are being used by the Indian Army.
Sporting armour protection equivalent to a tracked armoured vehicle, reinforced mine protection and nuclear biological and chemical protection for the crew, the guns christened 'Archer' were unveiled before a visiting group of Indian journalists in Sweden.
"The guns have been built by experts after researchers spent a long time watching the performance of our Kargil famed L39 Bofors guns," Kangart said.
According to him, the new-wheeled system of the guns, which sport Lemur target finding sites, can fire a salvo of three rounds in 15 seconds and intensive fire of 20 rounds in 2.5 minutes.
Kangart and other Bofors experts said the gun could move at a speed of 70 kmph even when there was 100 centimetres of snow, with one gun capable of playing the role of a regiment by its improved shoot and scoot capability.
The guns have a computerised fire control system with internal fire and integrated command and communication system and experts said it has very low operational and maintenance costs compared with other artillery systems.
"The crew of three to four men are protected by armour in combat and the guns can be air transportable by the new Airbus A400 aircraft," the official said.
