The Army is expected to order an additional 300 K9 Vajra self-propelled guns (SPGs) for the Regiment of Artillery.If executed, this would be the army’s largest order for the platform.The army currently operates 100 K9s and has already placed an order for another 100. An artillery regiment fields 18 guns, with two additional guns held as war-wastage reserves, so this procurement would allow the army to equip about 25 regiments with the K9.Under the field artillery rationalisation plan, the army had initially planned to acquire only 100 tracked SPGs and 180 wheeled SPGs.The K9 was originally procured to support strike formations intended to advance rapidly across enemy territory in plains and deserts.After the Galwan clashes and the subsequent standoff with China, the army deployed these guns to the high-altitude environment of eastern Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control. The platform has been modified to operate in those frigid conditions.The K9 combines mobility, firepower and protection to be an effective and survivable platform. Its shoot-and-scoot capability allows it to fire within 30 seconds and reposition in under a minute, minimising exposure to counter-battery fire.Armed with a 155 mm/52-calibre gun and a semi-automatic loading system, it can deliver a three-round burst in 15 seconds. Using NATO-standard ammunition it reaches ranges up to 40 km; extended-range and rocket-assisted projectiles push that to about 54 km.Its advanced fire-control system enables Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact (MRSI), in which rounds fired at different trajectories hit the target at the same time.The K9 is in service with nine other countries besides India and South Korea. The system operates from the frigid tundra above the Arctic Circle in Finland to the deserts of Egypt and Australia, demonstrating its reliability across diverse environments.The K9 Vajra was designed and developed by South Korea’s Hanwha Defense and is assembled in India at Larsen & Toubro’s Hazira plant. The platform integrates 14 major domestically produced components, including the fire-control system, communications gear, NBC protection and the gunner’s primary sight. Nearly 50% of the gun’s components, by value, are sourced from India.
