To strengthen Pakistan’s army’s firepower all along the western border, particularly to heat up the line of control in Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad has acquired the first batch of Chinese-made vehicle-mounted howitzes to counter the Indian canine vajra howitzes. Ensuring that Pakistan remains embroiled in a standoff with India, according to sources, Pakistani to contract with Chinese arms manufacturer Noren co in 2019 for the procurement of 236 sh-15 155 millimeters vehicle-mounted howitzers and ar 1 300 millimeters multi-barrel heavy rocket launchers. The total contract worth is around 512 million united states dollars. In addition to artillery, the deal comprises supply and technology transfer for different munitions, including extended range artillery shells and guided artillery rounds with a range of 53 kilometers sh-15 155 millimeters truck mounted howitzer. The sh-15 is based on an older sh-1 design.
This truck-mounted artillery system is fitted with a 155-millimeter gun-howitzer. The howitzer system is operated by five crew and carries almost 22.5 tons of load. The 155-millimeters 52 caliber long barrel howitzer is fitted with a double baffle and muzzle break. It has four boxes for carrying 60 rounds of ammunition.
As the first line, this howitzer can use a wide variety of different ammunition. This artillery system is capable of direct and indirect firing. The maximum range of fire could be up to 53 kilometers with a rocket-assisted v-lap projectile. The such range was already demonstrated by the older sh-1 system. Furthermore, this artillery system is capable of employing indigenous precision-guided munitions based on the Russian krasnopul laser-guided projectile technology. The sh-15 is fitted with a computerized fire control system, navigation, positioning, and targeting systems.
The vehicle receives target information from the artillery command vehicle. Indian k9 vajra howitzes k9 vajra is essentially a mobile howitzer. The 50-tonne k9 vajra can hit enemy targets up to 50 kilometers distance. It has its own propulsion mechanism for moving toward its firing location and can be used to shell enemy positions from a long distance. The projectiles are loaded into the ammunition tray by an automatic loading system and are ready to be fired when in a standby position.
The k9 can fire within 30 seconds or 60 seconds. While moving, the k9s crew is shielded by all welded steel armor that can survive 14.5 millimeters armor-piercing bullets, 152 millimeters, shell, fragments, and anti-personnel mines as extensive nuclear, biological, and chemical protection in MRSI mode. Multiple rounds of simultaneous impact. The k9 is capable of firing three shells in under 15 seconds, one every five seconds, each with a different trajectory so that they all reach their target. At the same time, this is especially useful in open-air surprise and bombardment techniques against enemies, fortifications, and strongholds.
Also, the Indian army successfully tested the made-in-India canine vajra howitzes at high altitudes. Last year, the Indian army deployed the first canine vajra self-propelled howitzer regiment in the forward areas in Ladakh, the supply of conventional weapon systems, fighter aircraft destroyers, and even the willingness to provide the df-17 hypersonic missile to counter India’s most recent acquisition. The s-400 air defense system is all part of Beijing’s long-term strategy to keep Pakistan in a state of perpetual conflict with India. This poses the threat of coordinated action along the northern and western fronts. That is the two-front challenge, which refers to a simultaneous armed conflict between India and both china and Pakistan.
China and Pakistan might choose either a collaborative or a collusive strategy. The former involves one country publicly assisting the other militarily, whereas the latter involves the two countries cooperating covertly covert. Collaboration means that if India and Pakistan are involved in an armed confrontation, china will offer material and logistical assistance to Pakistan and, in the event of a collaborative threat, any country may launch a second front militarily in a coordinated way. Beijing’S participation in building Pakistan into a nuclear state is well known, and the reported supply of df-17 mobile, solid-fueled, medium-range ballistic missiles by china to Pakistan is to increase Pakistan’s ballistic missile system substantially. Since the hypersonic missile is difficult to track and engage by most existing radars, including the s-400 system, and at present, though India lacks resources and other structural issues, the iaf is fully prepared to deal with any security challenge in eastern Ladakh and new infrastructure created by the Chinese side in the region will not affect India’s combat readiness.
The chief of air staff said India is fully ready to deal with a two-front war scenario involving china and Pakistan, and the focus has been to enhance the iaf’s overall combat capabilities and in order to deal with a two-front battle. India’S military strategy must be based on identifying a primary and secondary front, and India should and must do everything to fight such a war and win it. While India tested its scramjet-powered hypersonic technology demonstrator cruise vehicle hst tv on September 7th, 2020, for a hypersonic missile launch, the Chinese supply to Pakistan will undoubtedly drive and push the defense research and development organization to accelerate the domestic projects in high speed.
