In response to a new Chinese build-up under the PLA’s Xinjiang Military Command, the Indian Army has reportedly deployed artillery weapons near the Ladakh border, including K9 Vajra (K9 Thunder) self-propelled howitzers. According to media sources, the PLA’s Xinjiang Military Command recently received a slew of modern artillery weapons, including the PCL-181, PCL-161, and PHL-03 MLRS. Three K-9 Vajra howitzers were deployed for trials in high altitude mountainous areas of Ladakh as Indian Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane inducted the last of the 100 K-9 Vajra guns ordered. The Army commander has been keeping an eye on the induction and operations of howitzers made at the Larsen & Toubro factory in Hazira, Gujarat, near Surat.
The Indian Army ordered 100 of these guns from a South Korean company and has been inducting them into various regiments for the past two years. After the Bofors controversy rocked the country in 1986, the Indian Army had not inducted any new heavy weaponry. The army is adding to its arsenal with the introduction of the K9 Vajras, Dhanush, and M777 ultra-light Howitzers. The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is the next manufactured in India howitzer that is projected to be deployed in considerable numbers.
The K9 Vajra
- The Indian K-9 Vajra is a domestic version of the South Korean Agency for Defence Development and Samsung Aerospace Industries’ self-propelled 155mm/52cal Howitzer (SPH) ‘K-9 Thunder.’
- The crew of K-9 is protected by all-welded steel Armour that can survive 14.5 mm Armour-piercing shots, 152 mm shell fragments, anti-personnel mines, as well as nuclear, biological, and chemical threats.
- In MRSI mode, the K9 may discharge shells (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact). The K9 can fire three shells in under 15 seconds — one every 5 seconds — each with a different trajectory so that they all hit their target at the same moment in MRSI mode.
- This is especially useful in open-air surprise bombardment techniques against enemy fortifications and strongholds.
- The K9 has a maximum shell transfer rate of 12 rounds per minute and a maximum shell load of 104 rounds. The reloading operation is fully automated, and it is carried out via a munition bridge on the K10 that extends out to latch into a reception hole at the back of the K9.
- This permits the unit to re-arm in tough combat conditions without exposing the crew to the dangers of the battlefield.
- At the moment, India is one of seven countries that use the Korean-made K-9 howitzer. The weapon system was also tested at high altitudes by the Indian military.
- K-9 is used by six other countries besides India: Australia, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Turkey.
What is a Self-Propelled Howitzer, and how does it work?
- A self-propelled howitzer is a howitzer that can move on its own. It has its own propulsion mechanism for moving towards its firing position on the battlefield and is employed for long-range indirect bombardment assistance. The range of an SPH is similar to that of its non-wheeled predecessors.
- Although modern self-propelled artillery vehicles resemble tanks on the surface (much like the K-9), they are often light-armoured. They do, however, shield their operators from shrapnel and small weapons, hence they are normally classified as armoured fighting vehicles. For defence against opposing soldiers, many are outfitted with machine guns.
- K-9’s crew, on the other hand, is covered by all-welded steel armour that can survive 14.5 mm armour-piercing bullets, 152 mm shell fragments, and anti-personnel mines, as well as general nuclear, biological, and chemical protection.
- The MRSI mode allows the K9 to fire its ammunition (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact). The K9 can fire three shells in under 15 seconds — one every 5 seconds — each with a different trajectory so that they all hit their target at the same moment in MRSI mode.
- This is especially useful in open-air surprise bombardment techniques against enemy fortifications and strongholds.
- It is also equipped with the K-10, an ammunition resupply vehicle. It shares the same chassis as K9, keeping K9’s mobility, and can keep up with the main artillery battery without lagging.
- It can transfer shells at a maximum pace of 12 rounds per minute and carry a maximum load of 104 rounds. The reloading operation is fully automated, and it is carried out via a munition bridge on the K10 that extends out to latch into a reception hole at the back of the K9.
- This permits the unit to re-arm in tough combat conditions without exposing the crew to the dangers of the battlefield.
The other side of K-9 Vajra
- While the gun can be fired in under a minute, it is not sturdy enough to be shot while moving. Turkish military deployed the technology extensively in Syria during a cross-border invasion targeting Kurdish groups.
- The T-155 Firtina, a locally made version of the South Korean K-9, is used in Turkey. The Firtinas are 155 mm howitzers with long barrels that have a range of 30 to 40 kilometres depending on the ammunition.
- In Iraq, the Firtinas were first used against PKK fighters in 2008. They were later employed in the Syrian conflict.
- Despite this, the K9 has been exposed to extreme combat situations in the Middle East and Korea’s chilly climate. It was designed to work in the harsh conditions of the Demilitarized Zone with North Korea.
- As part of the Indian Army’s long-staggered artillery modernization project, this system has been favourably accepted, and it enhances the gunners’ firepower many times.
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