Amid disengagement with China, Indian Army deploys indigenous K-9 Vajra Tank in Ladakh

Even as the disengagement process between India and China is underway, Indian Army on Thursday deployed the last of the 100 K-9 Vajra Tank in the high altitude mountainous regions of Ladakh. Three of these Howitzers have been deployed for trials in Ladakh as the tanks reached Leh on Wednesday and are now being transported to a high altitude base to be tested if they can be used in high altitude areas against the enemy, ANI stated quoting government sources. Army Chief MM Naravane inducted the last of the 100 tanks as he had been monitoring the manufacturing operations of these howitzers at L&T facility in Gujarat's Surat.

 (Pic credit: ANI)

(Pic credit: ANI)

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The K-9 Vajra

The K9 Thunder is a South Korean self-propelled 155 mm howitzer designed and developed by the Agency for Defense Development and Samsung Aerospace Industries for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and is now manufactured by Hanwha Defense.

In 2017, Hanwha Defense of South Korea signed a contract worth $583 million with the Indian Army to supply 100 K-9 self-propelled artillery guns. Post the delivery of the 10 K-9 Vajra guns, India’s private-sector defence contractor Larsen & Toubro had been manufacturing the remaining 90 guns in India under the 'Make in India' initiative with technical support from the Korean firm.

Based on the performance of these big guns, the Indian Army would consider placing orders for two to three additional regiments of the self-propelled howitzers for mountain operations, sources said according to ANI. Earlier in January 2021, Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani had flagged off the 91st K9 VAJRA-T Gun from L&T's Armoured System Complex.

According to PTI quoting L&T, the K9 VAJRA-T systems have been delivered with more than 80% indigenous work packages and above 50% indigenisation (by value) at the programme level. This involves the local production of over 13,000 types of components per gun system through a supply chain of about 1,000 industrial partners, mostly MSMEs, with about 150 of them being from Gujarat.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had visited the facility of L&T to oversee the manufacturing operation of these big guns in January 2020.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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