L&T and Samsung-Techwin Team up for Artillery Gun Programm

Defence majors Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) and Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd (STW) of S. Korea announced that they would be cooperating in the Indian Army's Tracked Self Propelled Artillery Programme. The announcement was made at DEFEXPO 2012 - the exposition of defence equipment and systems in Delhi. A proposal to develop the 155mm/52 calibre tracked, self propelled artillery, with L&T as the lead partner, had been submitted last year to the Ministry of Defence. “L&T and Samsung Techwin have joined together to offer a state-of-the-art Self Propelled Tracked Howitzer system meeting the aspirations of the Indian Army for this strategically important program. This cooperation would lead to new avenues in Indian and global defense markets for both the partners working together”, said Mr.M V Kotwal, Member of the Board, L&T and President, Heavy Engineering. The agreement reflects the success of both companies in their respective areas of proficiency. L&T has had a series of successes as an innovator and systems integrator for key systems & technologies, and has indigenously developed and supplied complete systems for the Indian defence and aerospace sectors. Samsung Techwin is the OEM for the Korean “K9 Thunder” Self Propelled Howitzer, which is the largest and most successful of the155mm / 52 Calibre Self Propelled Artillery Systems in the world today. A large number of K9 systems have been produced and are in service in S. Korea and other countries around the world. Together with the K10 Ammunition Re-supply Vehicle, the system is recognized for its functionality and unrivaled performance. Larsen & Toubro, as the lead partner, will indigenously produce the self-propelled howitzer, thereby contributing to self-reliance in the defence sector. As part of the co-operation agreement between the two companies, STW will provide key technologies to L&T for localization of the K9 Thunder. During the production phase of the Indian tracked artillery program, the joint offering would have over 50% indigenous content including components like fire control system, communication system, NBC & AC, APU, life support system, etc which have already been used in India. This phase will also include significant localization of hull /turret structure and major subsystems. L&T also plans to set up the integration and testing facility for roll out of these guns from its world-class, dedicated defense equipment facility in Talegaon, near Pune. The „K9 Thunder‟ is on display at the L&T stall in the Defexpo, with L&T-STW jointly announcing its readiness to field the system for Indian Army‟s User Evaluation trials which are expected to commence shortly.