Wednesday, April 5 2006 14:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Apparently still haunted by the ghosts of Bofors kickbacks controversy, the army is to commence an unprecedented fourth round of trials in Pokhran for awarding the multi-billion dollar 155MM .52 calibre tracked and towed artillery guns contract.

The decision to go in for the fourth round of summer trials for the Swedish SWS Defence Bofors guns and Israeli Soltam has been taken despite the Swedish guns emerging with a clear edge in earlier rounds and the Israeli Soltam gun not even completing the last round of winter trials, army sources said.

Artillery Directorate, which has been clamoring for converting the entire Indian fleet of field guns to 155MM calibre for the last 20 years, is said to be not very enthusiastic at the government's indecision and is hoping that political controversy does not saddle it with the second best option.

South African gun major Denel, who were the third bidders for the Indian contract to purchase 400 more 155MM .52 claibre towed guns, have not been invited to the trials as the companyhas been blacklisted pending CBI probe into alleged payoffs in the company's contract to sell anti-material rifles to the army.

"The summer trials would be followed by winter tests in late November in Ladakh," army officials said.

Defence Ministry is also in the process of refloating international tenders for the wheeled version of the 155MM gun following the Parliamentary standing committee and Comptroller and Auditor General rasing objections to erstwhile NDA government awarding the contract to South African company Denel without holding any trials for the gun system.