Page 26 - ADT AUG - OCT 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP

survivability by avoiding enemy engage targets at a range of 40 SPHs from Hanwha Aerospace. The
counter-fires and drone threats. The kilometers with currently available MoD issued a Request for Proposal
mobile howitzer will be equipped conventional ammunition and for the additional guns in November
with an automated modular turret, has demonstrated a range of 50+ 2022 to Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
which can be mounted on different kilometers with various extended The Indian army already operates
types of combat platforms. projectiles. The K9 is particularly 100 K9 Vajra SPHs supplied by
optimized for Shoot & Scoot capa- Hanwha Aerospace (then Hanwha
The South Korean firm also show- bility to fire multiple rounds and Techwin), which were locally
cased an unmanned version of the immediately move to a different assembled in India from kits by L&T.
K9 capable of remote-controlled location to avoid potential count- Some of the K9 Vajra Ts with the
driving and autonomous driving. er-fire. About 2,000 K9 vehicles, army have been modernised with
Equipped with a 58 calibre gun, including localized variants, are in ‘Winterisation’ kits, allowing them
this uncrewed variant will feature production or in service with ten to be deployed on India’s Eastern
an extended firing range of over 80 nations, including Poland, Norway, sector. The K9 Vajra Ts assembled
kilometers with a maximum firing Finland, Estonia, Australia, India in India, include country specific
rate of more than eight rounds per and Egypt, with the most recent modifications for desert conditions
minute. Hanwha Aerospace also country being Romania. undertaken by L&T include an
presented its K11A1 Fire Direction Auxiliary Power Pack (APU), Air-
Control Vehicle, which is capable of conditioning Systems, Fire Fighting
remotely operating the unmanned India Eyeing More K9 SPH Systems, and Nuclear Biological
K9 for shooting and driving. The India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) Chemical (NBC) Protection
command vehicle boasts improved is now progressing the case to Systems. The Fire Control System,
survivability and operability with the procure an additional 100 K9 Vajra Direct Fire System, and the
help of Remote Controlled Weapon
Station (RCWS) installation and
enhanced armored protection.

The K9A2 SPH is fitted with a
155mm/52-calibre artillery gun, with
a fully automatic handling system,
an automatic turret. The weapon
system can attain an increased
rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute
at the push of a button, as com-
pared to the older A1 version which
can achieve a rate of fire of 6 to
8 rounds per minute. The K9 can

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