K9 Howitzers: South Korean defense company Hanwha Aerospace has won a big contract worth $253 million to send 100 more K9 self-propelled howitzers to India. This comes after India already bought 100 of these powerful guns earlier.
Hanwha will send parts for the howitzers to India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a big Indian company that makes machines and weapons. L&T will then build the final guns in India under the name K9 Vajra-T. This is part of India’s plan to make more weapons in its own country instead of buying ready-made ones from abroad.
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The first 100 howitzers were delivered by 2020. At that time, about half of the parts used to make them came from India. Now, with this new deal, Hanwha says 60% of the parts will be made in India – that’s more local materials than before.
The K9 Vajra-T is a special kind of big gun that can move on its own. It has a very strong 155mm barrel and can shoot targets very far away with good accuracy. It works well in all types of rough land that India has, from deserts to mountains. The gun can fire many shots quickly when needed.
“This follow-up order reflects the deepening defense partnership between Korea and India,” said Son Jae-il, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, reported by The Korea Herald.
“We will continue to be a trusted, reliable partner for India’s defense capabilities in the years ahead, supporting India’s vision for defense manufacturing self-reliance.”
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K9 Howitzers: Development for Indian Defence System
The deal is good for both countries. South Korea gets to sell more weapons, and India gets better at making its own military equipment. As India tries to rely less on weapons from other countries, deals like this help Indian companies learn how to build advanced weapons.
Hanwha Aerospace is one of South Korea’s biggest weapons makers. The company makes many types of military equipment, from tanks to missiles. This new contract with India shows that other countries trust Korean weapons technology.
This is part of India’s bigger plan to make 70% of its weapons inside the country by 2027. The government wants Indian companies to learn how to make advanced weapons so that India doesn’t have to depend on other countries for its security needs.
