Army Prepares for 100 More K9 Vajra Howitzers to Boost Defences Along China Border

The Indian Army is on the brink of a substantial artillery upgrade as the government prepares to approve the procurement of an additional 100 K9 Vajra tracked, self-propelled howitzers.

The decision, expected to be finalized in a cabinet committee meeting this month, will significantly enhance India's firepower capabilities, particularly along the sensitive border with China.

This repeat order comes in the wake of the successful delivery of the initial 100 K9 Vajras by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in 2022.

Built in India under a technology transfer agreement with South Korean defence firm Hanwha Defense, these howitzers were initially designed for desert warfare.

However, their deployment in the high-altitude Ladakh region during the 2020 standoff with China showcased their versatility. The Army subsequently procured winterization kits to ensure the howitzers operate seamlessly in extreme cold conditions.

The acquisition of 100 more K9 Vajras aligns with India's defence procurement policy, which permits repeat orders up to the quantity of the original purchase.

The new howitzers are projected to be delivered in phases, with the final units expected to join the Army's arsenal by 2028.

 

[vijay mendiratta]

L & T have been crying hoarse for further orders and have had to close the production line after delivering the first order for 100 AHEAD of schedule

Probably that caught the user unaware !

 

[Kam Guite]

Lesson learned from Russo-Ukraine war is that we need quantity as well as quality. The waring parties use extensively mothball weapons by refurbishing from their stores yards. Dump and smart weapons should be made available to our forces in huge quantities. That should be the aimed

 

[Shrujanam Syama]

Haha never used towed artillery? India has over 1500 towed artillery.

Sorry, meant Self propelled artillery.

 

[Shrujanam Syama]

You probably mean to say that the Indian Army has never used self-propelled artillery before. Even with that, your statement is incorrect.

India operated 80 FV433 Abbot SPAs between 1967 and 2016. India also had a very small number (around 20) of 2S1 Gvozdika SPAs between the late 1970s and the late 2000s.

You have very good knowledge, kudos! However, Abbot was significantly light and small weighing only 16-17tons whereas K9 weighs 48tons. Oprating K9 is similar to operating T90 more than Abbot

 

[Vijay Anand]

Any purchase over 500cr has to be done by govt. Army has no control over it.

Shouldn't IA initiate first for the deal buddy? 😑

 

[Anant]

You have very good knowledge, kudos! However, Abbot was significantly light and small weighing only 16-17tons whereas K9 weighs 48tons. Oprating K9 is similar to operating T90 more than Abbot

True, but the Indian Army has operated SPAs before. Regardless, some levels of trials are needed, but this kind of piecemeal order across half a decade is very questionable.