India's L&T To Purchase Ukrainian Anti-Aircraft Vehicles

India-based Larsen & Toubro has signed a contract with Ukrainian defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom to buy up to 138 anti-aircraft vehicles. 

According to the statement issued by Ukroboronprom, one anti-aircraft gun and one command vehicle will be sent to the company for evaluation, and the company will then have the right to purchase up to 138 of the systems under the contract.

The vehicles, which were not named, would be produced by three Ukrainian firms, according to the statement.

Ukraine has earlier produced an upgraded version of the Soviet Shilka self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, which can engage low-flying targets with radar-guided rapid-fire cannons, according to Ria Novosti. 

The ZSU-23-4 Shilka, which resembles a tank with four short cannons in place of a long gun, has seen combat in numerous conflicts, including in the Soviet war in Afghanistan and the ongoing civil war in Syria, where it has been used in an improvised fashion against elevated ground targets, the report added.