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Gazi Abbas Shahid
Starting as a ground reporter back in his home UT of Jammu and Kashmir, Gazi has been a part of the news industry for well over a decade. While he finds every type of news engrossing, politics, partic ... Read More
Amid the recent flare up in India-Pakistan tensions, the Indian Army is set to induct an additional 100 units of K9 Vajra-T Self-Propelled Howitzers (SPHs), which will significantly enhance the army’s artillery capabilities along the borders with China and Pakistan. According to reports, private defence manufacturer Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is preparing to deliver the new batch of these deadly artillery guns by the end of 2025.
Between 2018 and 2021, the Indian Army inducted an initial 100 K9 Vajra-T Howitzers, that have proven quite effective across varied terrains, especially in the rugged, high-altitude region of Ladakh.
On December 24, 2024, a new order worth $890 million (around Rs 7,628 crore), for 100 more units was confirmed via an agreement with Hanwha Aerospace, L&T’s South Korean partner, marking another major milestone in the continued push for self-reliance in defense manufacturing under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Adapted from the K9 Thunder, which was originally designed and developed by the Agency for Defense Development and private corporations including Dongmyeong Heavy Industries, Kia Heavy Industry, Poongsan Corporation, and Samsung Aerospace Industries for the South Korean armed forces, the K9 Vajra-T is a 155mm/52-caliber tracked self-propelled howitzer capable of engaging targets up to 40 km away.
The K9 Vajra-T cannon has been specifically adapted from the K9 Thunder– now built by Hanwha Aerospace– to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Army across diverse Indian terrains, including deserts and high-altitude mountainous regions. The K9 Vajra-T howitzer fires g K307 Base Bleed High Explosive (HE) rounds, and is capable of delivering a rapid burst of three rounds within 15 seconds, making it highly lethal in a battlefield.
The advanced mobile artillery platform is designed to provide crucial fire support to infantry and armoured formations during combat.
According to the Ministry of Defense (MoD), the new batch of K9 Vajra-T cannons will have around 60 percent of indigenously developed components, including Indian-built subsystems such as advanced fire control systems, communication equipment, and ammunition handling mechanisms.
More than 50 percent of components in the first batch were indigenous, the MoD said.
According to repots, the new batch of K9 Vajra-T howitzer guns are likely to be augmented with some key upgrades, including the upgraded subsystems for enhanced performance. The contract also includes a Life Cycle Support Contract (LCSC), for which a Request for Proposal was issued in November last year, to ensure the long-term operational readiness and maintenance of these systems.
The delivery is expected to begin towards the end of this year, and extend to through early 2028, until the Indian Army inducts a full 100 additional units of the K9 Vajra-T howitzers, which is part of its larger artillery modernization strategy to standardize its diverse gun systems to the 155mm/52-caliber specification by the year 2042.
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