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News: The Ministry of Defence has granted in-principle approval to procure over 300 additional K9 Vajra-T howitzers to modernise the Indian Army’s artillery.
About K9 Vajra-T
- The K9 Vajra-T is India’s variant of South Korea’s K9 Thunder, a 155 mm, 52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer.
- A howitzer is an artillery weapon designed to fire explosive shells at high angles, allowing it to strike targets behind obstacles such as hills, mountains and walls.
- Manufactured by: It is manufactured by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at Hazira, Gujarat, in partnership with South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace.
Key Features
| Features | Details |
| Type |
|
| Artillery Regiment | A K9 Vajra regiment comprises 20 guns, including 18 operational guns organised into three batteries of six guns each and two reserve guns. |
| Indigenous Components | It includes the fire-control system, communication suites, hull, turret, environmental control and NBC protection systems. |
| Imported Components | Critical components such as the gun barrel and breech mechanism continued to be sourced from South Korea. |
| Weight | It weighs 50 tonnes and can fire 47kg bombs. |
| Crew size for operation | It operates with a crew of five personnel. |
| Mobility and Protection |
|
| Shoot-and-Scoot Capability |
|
| Limitation | Its heavy structure limits its use in steep, rugged and road-inaccessible Himalayan areas. |
