India is deploying the K9 Vajra (meaning thunder in Hindi) self-propelled howitzer, locally produced via the technology transfer from Hanwha Aerospace, into actual combat.
According to industry sources, on the 8th, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) delivered 100 K9 self-propelled howitzers manufactured with the technology transferred from Hanwha Aerospace to the Indian Army. The Indian Army, facing continuous threats from China, had ordered the K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzers from L&T for deployment at the northern border.
The K9 Vajra units delivered this time are part of the quantity ordered by the Indian Army in 2022.
Before being delivered to the Indian Army, the K9 Vajra underwent performance testing, with at least three batches sent to Ladakh for evaluation.
The Indian Army has been deploying K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzer units along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh since last year in preparation for border disputes with China. The deployment of the K9 Vajra in the eastern Ladakh unit increases the Indian Army’s combat efficiency.
Manoj Mukund Naravane, the former Chief of the Indian Army Staff, who visited Ladakh to review operational readiness, said, “The K9 Vajra can operate in high-altitude areas, and the field test was very successful,” adding, “We will deploy K9 Vajras to the entire unit.”
The total number of K9 Vajra units that the Indian Army has introduced or ordered is 400. India is considering additional orders for the K9 Vajra to be used against China. Tensions have been escalating as Indian and Chinese forces have been bolstering their weapons deployment following a brawl in the border region.
Tarun Kumar Chawla, the Indian General of Artillery, said last year on Artillery Day, “We are reviewing whether we need more K9 Vajras.”
The K9 Vajra is the Indian export version of the K9 Thunder. It is a modified version of the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer operated by the Korean Army and Marine Corps, considering India’s heat and desert terrain. It weighs 47 tons, is 39 feet long, 11 feet wide, and 9 feet high, and can accommodate a crew of five. It boasts a maximum speed of 42 miles per hour. With a caliber of 155mm, it has a maximum range of 25 miles and can fire three shells in 30 seconds.
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