Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. This was put up before the Ministry of Finance for clearance and will subsequently be taken up by the Cabinet Committee on Security for final approval. On 2 August 2013, India requested the sale of 145 M777 howitzers for US$885 million. In February 2014 the purchase was again postponed. In May 2014 the purchase was cleared by India's Ministry of Defence. In July 2014, the Government of India announced that it would not order the guns because of cost issues. In November 2014, the selection process was restarted under the "Make In India" program. In May 2015, the Ministry of Defence approved ₹29 billion (₹2,900 crore) to buy 145 M777 ultralight howitzers from the US. In December 2015, the Indian Ministry of Defence said it was keen on placing a follow-up order of 500 more M777 guns. In June 2016, it was announced that 145 guns will be purchased by India for US$750 million. In November 2016 the Indian government completed the deal to buy 145 howitzers from the US. Under the agreement, BAE Systems supplied 25 ready-built howitzers, while 120 guns were manufactured in India by Mahindra Defence Systems Limited. The Indian Army received its first shipment of two howitzers in 2017 from the United States in ready to use condition. In September 2017, the barrel of one of the howitzers was damaged while firing during calibration trials. The Indian army used the M777 howitzer in the Himvijay exercise in Arunachal Pradesh which involved the newly raised integrated battle groups. A total of seven artillery regiments are planned, each of 18 guns. The first regiment is planned to be raised by the end of 2020 with 15 guns supplied by BAE systems and three guns supplied by Mahindra Defense Systems Limited. In July 2020, in the wake of escalating tension with China, further purchases of Excalibur shells were announced by the Indian Ministry of Defence. Several of these howitzers were deployed in the Ladakh area and the north eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh at the border with China. Ukraine In April 2022, during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine in the Russo-Ukraine War, the United States provided 108, Canada 4, and Australia 6 M777 howitzers with ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces, to repel Russia. Canada has promised 10 barrels to replace any worn out during firing. Usually a modern artillery system, like the