M777 Howitzer and K9 Vajra. | Photo Credit: Times Now

New Delhi: After three decades of Bofors, the Indian Army has acquired two new artillery guns - K9 Vajra and M777 howitzers. The K9 Vajra will be inducted at a cost of Rs 4,366 crore and will be completed by November 2020. The first batch of 10 guns will be delivered this month, while the remaining 40 guns will be delivered in November 2019, and another 50 in November 2020.

The Army is also going to raise seven regiments of 145 M777 howitzers and the army will receive five guns each by August next year and the entire process will complete in the following 24 months.

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The induction ceremony of the two gun systems – K9 Vajra and M777 Howitzer – will be conducted today at a ceremony in Devlali in Maharashtra. Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and Minister of State Subhash Bhamre will attend the event.

These are the first induction of heavy artillery since the Swedish Bofors guns were imported in the 1980s.

According to a report by PTI, the guns have a range of 30 km and can be moved to the desired location using helicopters and service aircraft. The M777 is currently operational in Australia, Canada, and Saudi Arabia and has also been deployed in the war in Afghanistan. The K9 Vajra has been assembled in Larsen & Toubro and will also be produced by L&T for the Indian Army.