India, South Korea plan third phase of defense cooperation; eye collaboration in anti-aircraft guns, missile systems

New Delhi: India and South Korea agreed to expand their defense partnership during bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Monday, with the two countries planning to launch a third phase of cooperation that will focus on strengthening technology transfer, joint development and joint design of advanced military systems.The two parties have already jointly manufactured the K9 Vajra, a special artillery gun, and now plan to extend the same manufacturing model to future technologies.

MEA Secretary (East) Kumaran told a media briefing in Delhi on Monday, “South Korea is supplying K9 Vajra systems and air defense systems. The supply has been done in two phases. We are considering a third phase which will involve larger technology transfer.” We are also working on other types of anti-aircraft guns and missile systems. “The K9 Vajra-T is a 155 mm, 52 caliber tracked self-propelled howitzer that is a key component of the Indian Army’s modern artillery capabilities. The system is manufactured in India by Larsen & Toubro with technology from South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace and is based on the widely used K9 Thunder platform.The K9 Vajra-T self-propelled howitzer is equipped with a 155 mm/52 caliber gun mounted on a 50-ton chassis. It has fully welded steel armor with a thickness of 19 mm. It can fire 47 kg shells and has a range of about 50 kilometers. The Army has successfully deployed K9 Vajra-T in high-altitude mountainous areas, especially in Ladakh and the Northeastern border. These 155mm/52 caliber tracked guns were originally designed for desert warfare, but following successful trials in 2021, they are now operational in hilly areas to enhance long-range, rapidly deployable firepower.“The first two phases of the collaboration are geared towards direct acquisitions and progressive localization, but the third phase will further drive the relationship through advanced manufacturing and technology transfer,” Kumaran said.“Co-development and technology transfer, co-design of next-generation defense systems are other areas where we hope to explore cooperation. In addition, there are possibilities for cooperation in defense hardware, telecommunications equipment, cybersecurity procurement…” he said.While the production of artillery weapons systems such as the K9 Vajra has been a highlight of the joint venture, talks are still ongoing about the development of air defense systems, including anti-aircraft guns, as well as missile platforms to deal with new aerial threats such as drones.