News Report: India’s Home-Made Howitzer Creates World Record in User Trial

India's new ATAGS artillery gun during early test firing

Apart from its capability to fire ammunition at almost 48 kilometers, India’s locally developed ATAGS is the world’s only gun with a six-round “automated magazine” that fires a six-round burst in just 30 seconds.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India’s locally manufactured advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) has created a record in ammunition firing during a user trial conducted at Pokhran in the western state of Rajasthan. The 155-millimeter 52-calibre howitzer fired three shells out to a record distance of approximately 47.2 kilometers in comparison to 40-45 kilometer by other such systems currently operational in the world.

Defense sources told Sputnik that this is, perhaps, the longest distance covered by an artillery gun system. “The system fired three shells at more than 47 kilometers using special, long-range ammunition called high explosive base bleed in Pokhran,” defense sources told to Sputnik.

News Story: (RoK) One soldier killed, six injured in blast during artillery drill

South Korean Army K9 Thunder Self-Propelled Artillery

SEOUL/CHEORWON, South Korea, Aug. 16 (Yonhap) -- One Army soldier was killed and six others were injured Friday in an explosion during an artillery firing drill, the military said.

The blast occurred on the shooting range of a front-line Army unit in Cheorwon, some 88 kilometers north of Seoul, at 3:19 p.m., according to an Army officer.

Seven servicemen were rushed to a hospital and one of them, a 27-year-old sergeant first class, died during the transport, the officer said.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Story: Tech transfer - Korea, China score big in exports

K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer

By: Mike Yeo 

MELBOURNE, Australia — Given the region’s relative economic success and its share of the global defense spending pie, it is of little surprise that Asian defense companies are making inroads into the world arms market.

Countries in the region are quietly scoring export successes, none more so than South Korea. The country’s defense manufacturers have taken big strides from their beginnings as local assemblers and suppliers of defense articles to the South Korean military and are now a force to reckon with on the global arms market.

According to the Financial Times, South Korean military exports have soared nearly 1,100 percent since 2009 as the nation’s arms manufacturers thrive off growing global instability and the competitive pricing they can offer their potential customers, which has been a big selling point for South Korean defense equipment, particularly in more price-sensitive markets. An example of this is the Samsung Techwin K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer. One of just three tracked 155-millimeter, 52-caliber howitzer systems in the market, the K9 has already found export success with Finland, Estonia, Poland and India all selecting the design for the respective requirements. Finland acquired 48 former South Korean army howitzers earlier this year for a reported $155 million, or $3.2 million a copy.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: S. Korea aims to expand arms exports

T-50/FA-50 Golden Eagle

By Lee Chi-dong

SEOUL, July 13 (Yonhap) -- This year may prove to be a key turning point for South Korea's defense industry, as the country hopes to add arms to the list of its major export items.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), a local defense giant, is bidding for the U.S. Air Force's program, called T-X, to replace its aging fleet of 350 T-38 trainer jets, a deal reportedly worth US$16 billion.

KAI is seeking to supply an upgraded version of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer jet developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin. The two firms formed a consortium for the offer of T-50A amid a fierce battle with the Boeing-Saab team.

The deal is expected to be awarded late this year, representing one of the biggest defense contracts in a decade.

"We are cautiously optimistic," a KAI official said, requesting anonymity. "In particular, our entrant has a competitive edge in price. Its performance has been already proven with more than 200 aircraft in operation."

The two-seat T-50 is currently used for training pilots in South Korea. It has been exported to Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand and the Philippines.

Global experts acknowledged the excellence of the plane itself.

Read the full story at YonhapNews

News Story: India's Larsen & Toubro to deliver 100 howitzers to Indian Army

South Korean K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI - In the first Howitzer order to a domestic private sector company, the Indian Ministry of Defence signed a $700 million contract  defense company Larsen & Toubro (L&T). L&T will produce 100 155mm /52 caliber tracked Howitzer guns at Indian facilities for the Indian Army jointly with Hanwha Tech Win of South Korea.

No official of the South Korean company would comment on the level of transfer of technology that will be given to domestic company to manufacture the tracked guns, but a senior official with the Indian Army said, “The South Korean company is unlikely to transfer technology fully in the K-9 gun with a low order of only 100 numbers.” 

"L&T could get additional orders ahead as there is a requirement of more tracked artillery guns,” the source added. 

The L&T- Samsung team with the K9 Vajra-T Howitzer gun beat the 2S19 MSTA howitzer from Rosoboroexport of Russia in response to a 2011 global tender. Defense News announced plans for the award in 2016. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: India Signs Largest Private Defense Contract for Korean Self-Propelled Guns

South Korean K9 Thunder

India’s Ministry of Defense has formally awarded a $676 million contract to Larsen & Toubro, India’s multinational engineering conglomerate, for the supply of 100 units of 155mm/ 52 caliber tracked self-propelled gun systems to the Indian Army.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The technology for the weapon is being provided by South Korean firm Hanwha Techwin (HT). L&T had bid for this ‘Buy Global' acquisition program of India's Ministry of Defense in 2011.

The K9 VAJRA-T gun is an enhanced version of HT's K9 Thunder, customized and co-developed by L&T & HT to suit the specific requirements of the Indian Army including desert operations.

News Report: India Inducts Sukhois Into IAF Squadron at Station Near Pakistan Border

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed Sukhoi-30MKIs at the Halwara base station, close to the India-Pakistan border. The Sukhois have been inducted into the IAF’s 221 Squadron, Valiants, which used to fly MiG-23 aircraft till 2009.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – The induction of the Sukhois, a state-of-the-art all-weather multi-role fighter aircraft, along the border is seen as an enhancement. “The induction of the squadron will boost the offensive capabilities of the Indian Air Force in this sector,” an IAF statement read.

The Valiants were formed as an offensive fighter squadron on February 14, 1963, at Barrackpore. The squadron has changed many bases during its 54-year-long journey and has taken part in the 1971 war and the Kargil operations.

News Story: India, South Korea sign agreement to build warships

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India and South Korea inked a memorandum of understanding on Friday in India to cooperate in shipbuilding for military use. 

The memorandum was signed by both India's secretary of defence production, Ashok Kumar Gupta, and South Korean Minister of Defense Acquisition Program Administration Chang Myoung-jin in India "for Defence Industry Co-operation in Shipbuilding," according to an Indian Ministry of Defence news release.

India has chosen state-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited, or HSL, to cooperate with a shipyard nominated by South Korea. 

"The Inter-Governmental MoU, was conceived under the overall umbrella of the 'Special Strategic Partnership' between both sides as declared in the Joint Statement of the Prime Minister of India and the President of [South Korea] in May 2015," the MoD release said. 

An MoD official explained that the cooperation is part of the Make in India policy, under which warships will be built at domestic shipyards with South Korea's help.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: South Korea Conducts Large-Scale Artillery Exercises - Defense Ministry

South Korean MLRS

According to the Defense Ministry, South Korea held large-scale exercises on Tuesday, with the use of multiple launch rocket systems.

TOKYO (Sputnik) – South Korea held large-scale exercises on Tuesday, with the use of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), in response to provocations from North Korea, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry.

"Through the current exercises, our armed forces demonstrated their fighting ability to suppress the enemy with firepower in the event of an emergency, and also confirmed their readiness to immediately destroy [the enemy] in the attempts of any provocation," the South Korean Army's statement read, as quoted by Yonhap news agency.

The ground force exercises took place in Kosong County, eastern Gangwon Province, which is split between South Korea and North Korea.

News Report: India to Purchase of 100 Self-Propelled Howitzers With 50 Percent Localization

South Korean Army K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer

The Indian government has approved a $ 631 million self-propelled howitzer deal under the Make in India program. Indian firm L&T will make a variant of a South Korean howitzer locally.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The variant, named K9 VAJRA-T, is a 155mm/52-caliber Tracked Self-Propelled Howitzer. It is a variant of South Korea’s Hanwha Techwin 155 mm/52-caliber K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer. The K9 Thunder currently serves as one of the main conventional deterrent weapons for a number of armies including the Korean Army.