155 mm
155 mm (6.1 in) is a common, NATO-standard, artillery caliber. It is defined in AOP-29 part 1 with reference to STANAG 4425. It is commonly used in field guns, howitzers, and gun-howitzers.
Land warfare
The caliber originated in France after ...
self-propelled howitzer
Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...
used by the
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
.
Development
The PCL-181 made its first public appearance during the
Chinese National Day Parade
The National Day Parade (), officially the National Day of the People's Republic of China Parade (), is a civil-military parade event held at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, on the National Day of the P ...
PLZ-05
The PLZ-05 or the Type 05 is a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by the People's Liberation Army of China to replace the Type 59-1 130 mm towed gun and Type 83 152 mm self-propelled gun. The PLZ-05 was officially unveiled at ...
, and improve upon its functionality in many ways.
Design
Armament
The gun has a 52-caliber barrel and is exactly the same as that of the
PLZ-05
The PLZ-05 or the Type 05 is a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by the People's Liberation Army of China to replace the Type 59-1 130 mm towed gun and Type 83 152 mm self-propelled gun. The PLZ-05 was officially unveiled at ...
self-propelled howitzer. It has a maximum firing range of up to 40 km with conventional ammunition and 72 km with extended range ammunition. The gun can also fire laser-guided munition which is capable of all weather operation. Each vehicle can carry 27 rounds of ammunition.
The vehicle features semi-automatic ammo reload, where the operator places the shell on the loading arm and the loading arm loads the round into the breech.
The PCL-181 is equipped with an automatic fire control system (AFCS). Following the operator's input of a target's azimuth data, the vehicle-mounted computer can calculate the trajectory of the artillery, and automatically lay the gun.
Mobility
The PCL-181 is based on Taian GM's 6X6 truck chassis.
Due to its comparatively lighter weight of 25 tons, the PCL-181 can also be transported in a
Shaanxi Y-9
The Shaanxi Y-9 () is a medium military transport aircraft produced by Shaanxi Aircraft Company in China. It is a stretched and upgraded development of the Shaanxi Y-8F.
Development
Development of the Y-9 may have begun as early as 2002 as the ...
According to state media reports, most of the country’s five military jurisdictions, known as theatre commands, have been equipped with PCL-181 155mm vehicle-mounted howitzers.
In June 2020, it was reported that the PCL-181 had been deployed in Tibet amid tensions with India.
In February 2021, it was reported that at least 18 PCL-181s had been inducted into the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force’s (PLAGF’s) Xinjiang Military Command.
Operators
Current operators
* :
**
People's Liberation Army Ground Force
The People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF; ) is the land-based service branch of the People's Liberation Army and the largest and oldest branch of the entire Chinese armed forces. The PLAGF can trace its lineage from 1927 as the Chine ...
: 300 units as of 2021.
International Institute for Strategic Studies
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been Arundel House in London, England.
The 2017 Global Go To Think T ...
: The Military Balance 2022, p.257
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80th Group Army
The 80th Group Army ), formerly the 26th Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF). The 80th Group Army is one of twelve total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground forces ...
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83rd Group Army
The 83rd Group Army (), formerly the 54th Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF). The 83rd Group Army is one of twelve total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground f ...
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74th Group Army
The 74th Group Army (), formerly the 42nd Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF). The 74th Group Army is one of twelve total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground force ...
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75th Group Army
The 75th Group Army ), formerly the 41st Group Army, is a military formation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Forces (PLAGF). The 75th Group Army is one of twelve total group armies of the PLAGF, the largest echelon of ground force ...
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
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Pakistan Army Artillery Corps
The Pakistan Army Artillery Corps, formally the Regiment of Artillery is an administrative corps of the Pakistan Army tasked with operating field artillery including muzzle-projectile weapons. Despite the name, the Regiment is itself composed ...
Official induction took place on 15 March 2021. As per sources Pakistan has acquired around 300 units with TOT to further build these self propelled howitzer locally in