Winning the competition
In 2015, India selected Hanwha Techwin and Larsen & Toubro as preferred suppliers for 100 K9 Vajra-T tracked self-propelled guns. The K9 had outperformed the 2S19 Msta-S and passed a two-year trial. India agreed to buy the 100 systems in 2016, and the formal contract followed in 2017.
Hanwha was to supply the first 10 vehicles, while Larsen & Toubro would manufacture the other 90 under license in India. The system included 14 major Indian-manufactured components or systems, with Indian content accounting for half of its value.
Engineering for the environment
The K9 Vajra-T was modified for India’s desert and high-temperature conditions. Changes included adjustments to its firing rate, with the vehicle able to fire three rounds in 30 seconds. It also received systems for communication, environmental control, protection from nuclear, biological, and chemical threats, and direct-fire aiming. A South African auxiliary power unit was used because the Korean unit was still under development during India’s trials.
The army later completed high-altitude trials in Ladakh. After satisfactory performance, plans advanced for additional guns, including a batch with an enhanced engine suited to high-altitude operation.
Partnership and production
A later contract signed by Larsen & Toubro and Hanwha Aerospace in April 2025 covered another 100 vehicles, with expected indigenous content above 60%. The story of the Vajra-T is therefore not just one of a foreign weapon selected for purchase. It is also a case of local manufacture, adaptation, and testing across very different operating environments.