Redefining Horizons

Bofors – End of a Glorious Innings? Existence of Bofors in contemporary Indian military history is much like that of Karna in Mahabharata. While both irrefutably strengthened the side they were on, the ones who brought them forth were conspicuous through disassociation. The controversy that trailed the gun and doesn’t seem to abate even after decades of its existence and eventual extinction, resulted in two significant events. Firstly, the manufacturer of the howitzer was blacklisted, prohibiting Army from sourcing spares from it. Second, the priceless Transfer of Technology (TOT) accompanying the deal was left to languish denying India an opportunity to indigenously produce the state-of-the-art gun system. It is the unbelievable robustness of the weapon and ingenuity of Indian Soldiers, that helped it continue booming in the wind-swept icy heights of Kargil, despite a chocked supply chain. Numerous instances of sublime...