MoD inks Rs 7,628 crore deal for artillery guns
Adding to the firepower of the Indian Army, the Ministry of Defence today signed a contract for getting 100 additional artillery guns that can operate in all terrains, including high mountains.
Called the K9 Vajra-T, the Army already has 100 such guns. The new contract for 100 additional guns will be for Rs 7,628 crore has been signed with a private firm Larsen and Toubro (L&T). These are called ‘self-propelled tracked artillery guns’ and fire the same calibre of shells as a normal artillery gun.
Enhanced range of K9 Vajra gun
The gun can fire at a distance of 40 km with conventional ammunition
With specialised ammunition, the range is 50 km
It can fire 3 rounds in 15 seconds and sustain 6-8 rounds per minute for 3 minutes
It is with an automatic fire control system for rapid and precise targeting
The success of the K9 Vajra gun, that runs on tank-style tracks, in eastern Ladakh has led the MoD to okay the purchase of 100 more such guns. Originally the gun was made for use in deserts, its adaption for Himalayan winter includes batteries that work in cold and lubricants that don’t freeze. The MoD said, “The procurement of K9 Vajra will enhance overall operational readiness of the Army”.
It has a strike precision-strike capability. The gun being equipped with cutting-edge technology is capable of delivering long-range lethal fires with high accuracy and rapid rate of fire.
K9 Vajra is a variant of the South Korean K9 ‘thunder self-propelled howitzer’, customised to meet the specific requirements of the Indian Army. L&T makes it under a transfer-of-technology agreement with Hanwha Defense of South Korea.
The contract was signed by senior officials of the Ministry and representatives of L&T in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in South Block.
