The Indian military has deployed its newest tracked 155mm howitzer guns to the disputed frontier region of Ladakh.
Indian bloggers on Jun. 1, reported that the Indian Army deployed K-9 Vajra tracked howitzers to the contested Ladakh border region between India and China.
The K9 is a 155mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Hanwha Defense for the Republic of Korea. The Vajra is a variant of the K9 specially designed for operation in the desert and high-altitude areas.
As noted by the company, it is the world’s most advanced self-propelled howitzer. The K9 boasts excellent performance with a long shooting range for fire combat and a fast firing speed for real-time, quick-focused fire power. It is a unit capable of quick displacement after shooting, and has excellent maneuverability and survivability.
The main weapon is the 155mm / 52 caliber gun. The K9 is capable of firing a burst rate of 3 rounds in less than 15 seconds and a maximum rate of fire of 6 to 8 rounds in a minute for three minutes. Sustained rate of fire is from 2 to 3 rounds a minute for one hour.
K9 Thunder protects the internal crew and onboard equipment against 155mm shell fragments, 14.5mm armor piercing shells and anti-personnel mines.
In NBC warfare situations, survivability is guaranteed with the on-board air purification system and gas masks for the crew.