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Context:  The Defence Ministry has started the process for the procurement of 100 more K9-Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzers, which are built in India by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) using technology transferred from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defense Co. Ltd

Details:

• At the height of tensions in eastern Ladakh in 2020, the Army deployed a regiment of these howitzers to augment its long-range fire power against the backdrop of a massive build-up of forces by China across the Line of Actual Control.
• Buoyed by their performance, the Army is looking at eventually procuring 200 additional guns.
• The induction of Dhanush, K9-Vajra and M777 Ultra Light Howitzers has enhanced the reach of artillery firepower on the northern borders
• The K9-Vajra is a 155-mm, 52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer based on the K9 Thunder built by Hanwha Defense.
• The 100th gun was delivered to the Army in February 2021, the contract for which was signed in May 2017. The contract involved maintenance transfer of technology to an Army base workshop to support the howitzers throughout their operational life cycle.
• The K9-Vajra was mainly bought for use in deserts, but the stand-off prompted them to be deployed in the mountains as well.
• To ensure that they performed optimally in the extreme cold weather conditions of the mountains, the Army also procured “winterisation kits” for the regiment deployed.
• Since the stand-off, the Army has deployed its entire range of medium artillery guns and long-range rockets in the region to augment its long-range fire power as part of the reorientation towards the northern borders.

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