<p>Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday flagged off the 51st K-9 Vajra-T gun at the Larsen and Toubro Armoured Systems Complex at Hazira, Surat.</p>.<p>The L&T officials showed the minister the different manoeuvres of the K-9 Vajra-T, a tracked self-propelled howitzer. Singh sat in the vehicle on which the gun was mounted and was driven around the Hazira complex.</p>.<p>The gun weighs 50 tonnes and can fire 47kg bombs at 43-kilometre distant targets. It can also turn around at zero radius.</p>.<p>L&T had in 2017 won the Rs 4,500-crore contract from the Ministry of Defence to supply 100 units of K9 Vajra-T 155 mm/52 calibre tracked self-propelled gun systems to the Indian Army under the Centre's 'Make in India' initiative.</p>.<p>The K9 Vajra contract involves the delivery of 100 such systems in 42 months, which is the largest contract awarded to a private company by the Ministry of Defence.</p>.<p>The Defence Minister also put 'tilak' and drew the auspicious 'swastik' symbol with kumkum on the new artillery. During the puja, he also offered flowers to the gun and broke a coconut.</p>.<p>Singh said in his speech that he salutes the commitment and hard work of employees of L&T as the company's Hazira complex is a sign of "new thinking of new India".</p>.<p>"I see this complex has a new and astonishing achievement... There were many sectors in India where the private sector's participation was almost nil. Defence sector was one such example," he said.</p>.<p>Under the 'Make in India' scheme, the government has taken many steps that will make the country a net exporter of arms in future, he said.</p>.<p>The minister said the government has simplified the process of giving licences for defence manufacturing, established two defence industrial corridors and created a defence investors cell at the Ministry of Defence.</p>.<p>"Today, when I saw the K-9 Vajra-T gun, I could see strong gun, but more than that, I could see a strong India... In defence, this is a brilliant example of Make in India," he said.</p>.<p>The government will try its level best to remove all roadblocks that are coming in the industry's way of indigenous defence manufacturing, he said.</p>.<p>J D Patil, senior executive vice-president for the company’s defence segment, as well as A M Naik, chairman of the company, were present at the event.</p>.<p>"L&T has always been at the forefront for all the national causes...We collaborate with the DRDO and the armed forces to understand their requirement," Naik said in his speech.</p>
<p>Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday flagged off the 51st K-9 Vajra-T gun at the Larsen and Toubro Armoured Systems Complex at Hazira, Surat.</p>.<p>The L&T officials showed the minister the different manoeuvres of the K-9 Vajra-T, a tracked self-propelled howitzer. Singh sat in the vehicle on which the gun was mounted and was driven around the Hazira complex.</p>.<p>The gun weighs 50 tonnes and can fire 47kg bombs at 43-kilometre distant targets. It can also turn around at zero radius.</p>.<p>L&T had in 2017 won the Rs 4,500-crore contract from the Ministry of Defence to supply 100 units of K9 Vajra-T 155 mm/52 calibre tracked self-propelled gun systems to the Indian Army under the Centre's 'Make in India' initiative.</p>.<p>The K9 Vajra contract involves the delivery of 100 such systems in 42 months, which is the largest contract awarded to a private company by the Ministry of Defence.</p>.<p>The Defence Minister also put 'tilak' and drew the auspicious 'swastik' symbol with kumkum on the new artillery. During the puja, he also offered flowers to the gun and broke a coconut.</p>.<p>Singh said in his speech that he salutes the commitment and hard work of employees of L&T as the company's Hazira complex is a sign of "new thinking of new India".</p>.<p>"I see this complex has a new and astonishing achievement... There were many sectors in India where the private sector's participation was almost nil. Defence sector was one such example," he said.</p>.<p>Under the 'Make in India' scheme, the government has taken many steps that will make the country a net exporter of arms in future, he said.</p>.<p>The minister said the government has simplified the process of giving licences for defence manufacturing, established two defence industrial corridors and created a defence investors cell at the Ministry of Defence.</p>.<p>"Today, when I saw the K-9 Vajra-T gun, I could see strong gun, but more than that, I could see a strong India... In defence, this is a brilliant example of Make in India," he said.</p>.<p>The government will try its level best to remove all roadblocks that are coming in the industry's way of indigenous defence manufacturing, he said.</p>.<p>J D Patil, senior executive vice-president for the company’s defence segment, as well as A M Naik, chairman of the company, were present at the event.</p>.<p>"L&T has always been at the forefront for all the national causes...We collaborate with the DRDO and the armed forces to understand their requirement," Naik said in his speech.</p>