Opinion Could Early Planning Have Saved India's Bhim Howitzer? Army's K9 Vajra Order Raises Questions on Long-Term Defence Strategy

The Indian Army is set to bolster its artillery firepower with an order for 100 additional K9 Vajra self-propelled howitzers, bringing the total to 200 units, with plans for another 100 in the near future.

While the K9 Vajra, a product of collaboration between Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and South Korea's Hanwha Defence, has proven its worth, this procurement raises questions about a missed opportunity to revive a wholly indigenous alternative, the Bhim self-propelled howitzer.

The K9 Vajra, with its 1,000 hp engine and 155mm/52-caliber gun, has become a key asset for the Indian Army. Its ability to operate in diverse terrains, including the challenging conditions of Ladakh, makes it a valuable addition to India's artillery modernization efforts. The Army's decision to procure more units underscores its confidence in the platform's performance and reliability.

However, this procurement has rekindled discussions about the Bhim self-propelled howitzer, an indigenous project initiated by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the early 2000s. The Bhim combined the Arjun main battle tank's chassis with a South African 155mm howitzer turret. Despite successful trials, the project was shelved due to geopolitical and procurement challenges, including sanctions on South Africa.

Some defence experts argue that the Bhim could have been a viable alternative had the Army projected its requirement for 300 self-propelled howitzers from the outset. A clear and substantial demand could have justified the development costs and potentially led to a fully indigenous system, reducing reliance on foreign partnerships.

The decision to opt for the K9 Vajra over reviving the Bhim project reflects the Army's immediate operational needs. However, it also raises questions about India's long-term defence strategy. While the K9 Vajra features significant indigenization through local production, a fully indigenous platform like the Bhim would have further strengthened India's defence manufacturing ecosystem and aligned more closely with the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-Reliant India) initiative.

With the additional orders for the K9 Vajra, the focus now shifts to fulfilling operational requirements efficiently. However, this episode serves as a valuable lesson for long-term planning in defence acquisitions. By aligning projected requirements with indigenous development capabilities from the start, India can maximize the potential of its domestic defence industry and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.

 

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[sanket]

Indigenous alternatives? Private players are also doing a copy-paste job. Have they come up with their own design & development? That's what I was saying from the start. Even after going through & mastering a copy-paste degree, private players failed to design, develop & make Bharat Atmanirbhar in self-propelled howitzers. Chai samosa is the favorite of private players & some fanboys.

 

[Instant Karma]

K9 is not Indegenous. Bhim is Indegenous.

 

[Sunny]

It's a correct and logical choice. Why just keep 100 and then move to a completly different gun. It will make logistics and maintainance difficult. The focus should be on gun types where we are to start ordering and go for indigenous ones there.

 

[Raj Bhandarkar]

Indigenous increase happens slowly. In time K9 might be wholly indigenous as well but just for sake of indigenisation immediate requirement cannot be ignored with increasing geopolitical tension - Pakistan with missiles test in west, Bangladesh with Anti Inda rhetoric in east, Myanmar under an unstable junta and ever opportunistic china waiting for first opportunity for land grab.

amid these threats, current demands are more important. What can we do if we wait for indigenous project in name of Make in India and remain behind enemy militarily and technological. Especially since indigenous projects takes decades - prime example is Tejas which was incepted somewhere in 80-90s and only took to skies recently after 30-40 years

 

[Vijigishu ( विजिग्शु )]

Senseless take. Bhim was a jugaad product that too in early 2000s. More than 2 decades have passed. Drdo had all the time to come up with a new design and advanced product. Target should be to indigenise K9 as much as possible because ordering it in small no.s doesn't make sense.

 

[Kira]

It's a correct and logical choice. Why just keep 100 and then move to a completly different gun. It will make logistics and maintainance difficult. The focus should be on gun types where we are to start ordering and go for indigenous ones there.

True, also only ordering 100 guns and stopping at that would have meant that all the investment L&T made in their plant would have been wasted. So, ordering more batches of K-9 makes sense after it proved its mettle in Ladakh and Thar. As for BHIM, we don't know its status and how successful it would have been, and its main gun supplier - the South African firm Denel - was caught in a serious corruption scandal a long time ago anyway. Knowing DRDO, they would have screwed up any large order. So, it's good that the IA, by choosing K-9, went for something proven and reliable.

 

[Sridhar]

K9 is not Indegenous. Bhim is Indegenous.

BHIM is also not indegenous. The main gun was manufactured by DENEL, South Africa. Chasis - Arjun Tank minus the Turret. Engine MTU Germany.

 

[Parthasarathi DasGupta]

When you need order lumsum. Per unit cost becomes less. LET'S workshop was without order for almost 2 years. You have to pay salaries to staffs. All counts. Fire power count. We suppose to have 22 Regiment of Pinaca but we have only 10 Regiment. We have only 100 K9, even Poland has more. Turkey has more than 400. We have actually seven world class destroyers, China has more than 60. About the airforce less says is better.

 

[Bikramjeet Goswami]

It's a correct and logical choice. Why just keep 100 and then move to a completly different gun. It will make logistics and maintainance difficult. The focus should be on gun types where we are to start ordering and go for indigenous ones there.

Yeah, really no point coming up with a new SPH and further complicating already messed up logistics....
105 mm, 122 mm, 130 mm & 155 mm...four different howitzer calibers in use currently. 3-5 different 155 mm howitzers in inventory....

 

[Shanker]

There is no need to involve private entities now. Bhim has been developed and assembled on the already existing Arjun Chasis and Turret. Army has already validated it too. Even now, it is possible to make it better, probably better than even Vajra itself. Additionally, it can compete with K9 in the International market like Pinnaca!🙂
Then, why not?🤔🤔

 

[Venkat S]

Indigenous alternatives? Private players are also doing a copy-paste job. Have they come up with their own design & development? That's what I was saying from the start. Even after going through & mastering a copy-paste degree, private players failed to design, develop & make Bharat Atmanirbhar in self-propelled howitzers. Chai samosa is the favorite of private players & some fanboys.

Are the private players asked to come up with their own artillery model with an assurance that if selected, X number of units would be ordered? Then why should they invest crores? SSS Ind have come up with their own small arms design? Leave alone orders, their products are still awaiting Army trials. If you have crores of rupees to spend, why don't you start a firm and come up with your innovative ideas and crack the deal? Who is stopping you?

 

[Aravind Raveendran]

How does BHIM become an indigenous product?
moreover we need continuity and k9 vajra is good enough and we have our own factory sitting idle for 2 years ..so considering everything this is the best decision.

 

[Venkat S]

It's a correct and logical choice. Why just keep 100 and then move to a completly different gun. It will make logistics and maintainance difficult. The focus should be on gun types where we are to start ordering and go for indigenous ones there.

I agree. It would work out more cheaper by ordering more K9 Units. Also Indian army would receive these guns on the said timeline.