Army To Procure Another 100 K9 Vajra Howitzers; To Deploy At LAC

The army is planning to acquire 100 new K9 Vajra Tracked Self-Propelled Howitzers from private defence firm Larsen and Toubro (L&T). These systems will be deployed at the northern borders along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in response to a belligerent China.

The indigenous Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) 155mm/52 calibre howitzer is still undergoing trials. Still, the Army is attempting to move those trials forward as quickly as possible.

The new contract for 100 additional 155mm/52 calibre Vajras indicates a continuation of L&T's indigenous production of South Korean weapons at its factory in Gujarat.

Earlier, L&T signed a technology transfer agreement with the South Korean company, Hanwha Corporation after winning the Rs 4,500 crore "Make in India" contract in 2017 to supply 100 K9 Vajra systems.

According to the company, Indigenisation began with the replacement of 14 crucial systems in the Korean "K9 Thunder" with systems designed and manufactured locally for the trial pistol used for user evaluation trials.

The Ministry of Defense has given the go-ahead to order 100 more Vajras after the Army plans for 200 more Vajras. Cost negotiations will occur following the Request for Proposal (RFP) release to L&T. 

The concerned department will expedite the procedure and it is anticipated that deliveries will start shortly.

Eventually, the Army intends to have 300 of these guns, which were first purchased for the deserts and when the new order is carried out, another order for 100 additional Vajras may be placed.

However, the Army chose to place three of these tracked howitzers in Eastern Ladakh as a test measure when tensions at the LAC flared up in May 2020. 

Despite being built to operate in arid environments, these weapons were equipped with winterisation kits that would allow the howitzers to function in temperatures below zero.

The nine parts in the winterisation kits include specialised oil, lubricants, heating systems and tiny adjustments to the gun's fire and control systems among other things.