At a time when military debates across the world are increasingly dominated by the rise of First-Person View (FPV) drones and unmanned systems, India appears determined not to abandon one of warfare’s oldest and most decisive weapons. The Indian Army is preparing to significantly expand its self-propelled artillery fleet by inducting more than 300 additional K9 Vajra-T tracked howitzers in a deal estimated at around Rs 23,000 crore (US$2.4 billion).
The proposal is expected to be presented before the Defence Procurement Board (DPB) this week. If approved, it would mark one of the largest artillery acquisitions undertaken by India in recent years and increase the Army’s total inventory of K9 Vajra-T guns to more than 500 units.
The planned procurement underscores New Delhi’s conviction that, despite the growing prominence of drones on modern battlefields, heavy artillery remains indispensable for large-scale conventional warfare.
The K9 Vajra-T has emerged as one of the Indian Army’s most successful artillery modernization programs. The first contract for 100 guns was signed in 2017 for approximately Rs 4,500 crore (US$474 million). Manufactured in India by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) under license from South Korean defense giant Hanwha Aerospace, all 100 guns were delivered ahead of schedule by 2021.
The artillery system quickly impressed military planners with its performance across diverse operational environments, ranging from the scorching deserts of Rajasthan to the freezing heights of Ladakh.
Encouraged by its operational success, India placed a repeat order for another 100 K9 Vajra-T guns in 2025. That contract included upgrades specifically designed to improve performance in high-altitude conditions, reflecting lessons learned from the India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh.
The proposed third order would dramatically expand the fleet and cement the K9 Vajra-T as one of the cornerstones of India’s future artillery force.
The K9 Vajra-T is the Indian variant of the widely acclaimed K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer developed by Hanwha Aerospace. Customized for Indian requirements, the system incorporates between 50 and 60 percent indigenous content and is produced domestically by L&T.
The original contract was awarded after a rigorous global competition and extensive field trials. Since then, the program has become one of India’s most prominent examples of defense industrial cooperation under the “Make in India” initiative.
The growing indigenous content in the platform has also strengthened India’s domestic defense manufacturing ecosystem while reducing long-term dependence on foreign suppliers.
When initially inducted, the K9 Vajra-T was primarily deployed along the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan, where its mobility and firepower offered a significant operational advantage in desert warfare.
However, the strategic situation changed dramatically following the 2020 border confrontation between Indian and Chinese forces in Ladakh. Recognizing the need for heavy firepower in mountainous terrain, the Indian Army redeployed K9 Vajra-T units to the high-altitude region.
The guns performed effectively despite the extreme environmental conditions, demonstrating their adaptability and validating India’s decision to invest further in the platform.
The second batch of K9 Vajra-T systems was therefore configured with enhancements specifically tailored for operations in high-altitude regions, ensuring continued readiness along India’s northern borders.
The K9 Vajra-T is built around a powerful 155mm/52-caliber gun system capable of delivering accurate long-range fire support.
The howitzer can fire up to six rounds per minute in burst mode while maintaining a sustained firing rate of two to three rounds per minute during extended operations. It has an effective range exceeding 40 kilometers, allowing it to engage targets far beyond the reach of many battlefield systems.
Its tracked chassis provides excellent mobility across rough terrain, enabling rapid repositioning after firing missions. This “shoot-and-scoot” capability is increasingly important on modern battlefields where artillery units must constantly move to avoid counter-battery fire and drone detection.
The system combines mobility, survivability, and firepower, making it particularly valuable in both offensive and defensive operations.
India’s confidence in the K9 platform reflects a broader international trend. Since entering service in 1999, the K9 Thunder has become one of the world’s most successful self-propelled artillery systems.
More than 1,900 K9 units have either been delivered or are currently on order worldwide. The platform accounts for a substantial share of global self-propelled howitzer exports and has been adopted by numerous countries, including Australia, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, India, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Turkey.
South Korea itself operates a large fleet of K9 systems along the heavily militarized Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) facing North Korea.
One of the platform’s key strengths is its advanced hydropneumatic suspension system, which enables effective movement across mountainous and uneven terrain. This capability has proven particularly relevant for both Korean and Indian operational requirements.
The vehicle’s five-member crew operates within a fully enclosed armored compartment protected against nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. The platform’s armor also provides protection against shrapnel and heavy machine-gun fire, while a turret-mounted .50-caliber machine gun offers close-defense capability.
The planned acquisition forms part of a much broader effort by the Indian Army to modernize its artillery forces after decades of limited procurement.
India is standardizing around modern 155mm artillery systems, creating a more capable and interoperable artillery network. Alongside the K9 Vajra-T, the Army is inducting several other advanced gun systems.
Among them is the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), an indigenous 155mm/52-caliber howitzer developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems and Bharat Forge.
The Army has also ordered 114 Dhanush artillery guns, considered India’s first indigenously manufactured artillery system. Produced by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), the Dhanush program represents another major step toward defense self-reliance.
In addition, India is pursuing Mounted Gun Systems (MGS) and Towed Gun Systems (TGS), further expanding the range of artillery options available to field commanders.
India’s modernization effort extends beyond conventional tube artillery. The Army is also heavily investing in the Pinaka Multi-Rocket Launch System (MRLS).
In February, contracts worth Rs 10,147 crore were signed for various ammunition types for the Pinaka system. The rocket artillery platform continues to evolve, with newer variants achieving progressively greater ranges.
While the Mark-I version can strike targets at 40 kilometers, the Mark-II and Enhanced variants extend that reach to between 60 and 75 kilometers. Guided Pinaka rockets can hit targets beyond 75 kilometers, while the latest Pinaka Extended Range version reaches approximately 90 kilometers.
Development work is already underway to push future variants toward 120 kilometers and eventually as far as 300 kilometers.
Together, these systems are creating a layered long-range fires capability for the Indian Army.
The timing of India’s proposed purchase inevitably raises a question: why invest billions in artillery when drones are transforming warfare?
The conflict in Ukraine has often been cited as evidence that cheap FPV drones can replace expensive traditional weapon systems. Videos showing drones destroying tanks, armored vehicles, and troop positions have fueled speculation that artillery may be becoming obsolete.
Yet battlefield experience suggests otherwise.
While drones have become indispensable for reconnaissance, targeting, and precision attacks, they have not replaced artillery. Instead, they have become an additional component of the modern battlefield.
FPV drones typically carry relatively small warheads and are optimized for attacking specific targets. They excel at destroying vehicles, striking exposed troops, and conducting precision engagements.
However, they cannot replicate the sheer destructive volume generated by a battery of 155mm howitzers.
Artillery remains unmatched in its ability to suppress enemy positions, destroy fortified defenses, interdict troop movements, and deliver sustained fire support across large areas.
These capabilities explain why artillery continues to dominate high-intensity warfare despite technological advances.
The war in Ukraine offers perhaps the clearest evidence that artillery remains central to modern combat.
Despite the extensive use of drones by both Ukrainian and Russian forces, artillery continues to account for a significant proportion of battlefield casualties and destruction.
Ukraine routinely consumes around 200,000 artillery shells per month, with usage rising substantially during periods of intense combat. Russia, meanwhile, has maintained even higher firing rates, at times reportedly expending close to one million shells monthly during major operations.
The scale of ammunition consumption highlights the continuing importance of massed firepower.
Military officials in Ukraine have repeatedly emphasized that missile forces, artillery guns, rocket launchers, and mortars remain the primary means of delivering battlefield firepower. Drones have enhanced targeting accuracy and expanded reconnaissance capabilities, but they have not displaced traditional artillery systems.
The same conclusion is reflected in international procurement trends. Russia has continued expanding its artillery inventory and reportedly supplemented domestic production with older North Korean artillery systems and millions of rounds of ammunition.
Meanwhile, Western nations have supplied Ukraine with millions of artillery shells alongside drones and precision-guided weapons.
The lesson emerging from the conflict is increasingly clear: drones and artillery are complementary, not competing, technologies.
India’s planned acquisition of more than 300 K9 Vajra-T howitzers reflects this reality.
Military planners appear to recognize that future conflicts will likely feature both advanced drones and traditional artillery operating together in integrated networks. Drones can identify targets, adjust fire, and provide real-time battlefield intelligence, while artillery delivers the volume and persistence of firepower necessary to shape combat operations.
By expanding its K9 Vajra-T fleet while simultaneously investing in indigenous gun systems, rocket artillery, and unmanned technologies, India is seeking to build a balanced force capable of meeting the demands of future warfare.
Far from signaling a return to outdated concepts, the proposed procurement demonstrates a growing recognition that artillery remains one of the most decisive tools on the modern battlefield—an enduring reality even in the age
