K9 Vajra: How indigenous is the gun and why does the Army need more

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Defence cleared proposals worth ₹2.12 trillion for military procurements, including high mobility vehicles, light helicopters and K9 Vajra-T self-propelled guns, for the Indian Army.

Out of the total amount, the proposed acquisition of the K9 Vajra-T is estimated to cost over ₹20,000 crore. It will strengthen the artillery regiment's firepower and mobility along the borders with Pakistan and China.

The clearance, known as Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), is an initial step in the procurement process and does not mean that a contract has been signed.

The K9 Vajra-T howitzer is an Indian version of South Korea’s K9 Thunder, a 155 mm, 52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer manufactured under ‘Make in India’ initiative by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in Hazira, Gujarat, in partnership with Hanwha Aerospace, the Korean counterpart.

A howitzer is an artillery gun that fires explosive shells over long distances, including at high angles to hit targets behind obstacles. Unlike other towed artillery, which must be pulled by a vehicle, the K9 Vajra carries its gun on an armoured, tracked chassis. It helps the gun move with artillery formations, fire at enemy positions and relocate quickly to reduce its exposure to retaliatory fire.

The system has a reported firing range of around 40 km, extendable to approximately 50 km with certain ammunition. It can travel at speeds of up to 67 km per hour on roads and houses a crew of five. It can fire three rounds in less than 15 seconds.

The army currently operates around 100 of these guns, ordered under a ₹4,500-crore contract signed in 2017, with deliveries completed in 2021. A second order for 100 guns, worth ₹7,629 crore, was signed with L&T in December 2024.

The latest proposal could take the army’s planned fleet to around 500 guns. An artillery regiment operating typically comprises 20 guns, meaning the expanded fleet could equip up to 25 regiments.

According to sources aware of the matter, the newer guns have more than 80 per cent indigenous content and are planned for extreme cold and high-altitude conditions.

The initial trials of Vajra were conducted in deserts and not in cold climatic conditions where the guns work differently in a rarefied atmosphere.

Following the 2020 India-China military standoff in Ladakh, the army tested and deployed few guns equipped with  winterisation kits to make them operable in sub-zero temperatures in high-altitude conditions.

However, the K9 Vajra, which weighs about 50-tonnes, is not suited for every Himalayan terrain in steep, inaccessible areas where lighter artillery may be more practical.