Breaking News: SH15 Howitzer in Pakistan
Pictures of the Chinese-made SH-15 Howitzer presence in Pakistan have been seen on social media. These images will be shared with you in this article, in addition to the capabilities and salient features of this Howitzer will be discussed in detail, the benefits of its induction will also be discussed.
SH-15 Howitzer Introduction
PCL 181, whose export name is SH15, is basically a vehicle-mounted howitzer. It was developed primarily to replace the 152mm Type 66 and 130mm Type 59 Towed artillery guns used by the Chinese military. The SH15 is based on a 6 * 6 truck chassis and there is an armored cabin for crew members. Although this 155mm vehicle-mounted howitzer was first seen in 2017, but it was made public in 2018, its regular induction in the Chinese army took place in 2018-19. However, some sources also quote its induction in 2020.
SH-15 Howitzer Basic Features
This vehicle-mounted gun requires 5 crew members to drive and operate, one of whom is the driver and commander in the front cabin. The front cabin has a large touch panel screen with all kinds of information and directions. The other 3 crew members carry out the semi-auto-loading work. The vehicle speed of this gun is 90 kmph and the range is 600 kmph. In addition to the 155mm gun, it has a 12.7mm machine gun for self-defence. It has a storage capacity of 40 rounds of the main gun. This gun can fire regular shells at a range of 30 km and with the help of extended projectiles up to a range of 53 km. But with the help of new laser-guided and satellite-guided GP155 and GP155G, the precision-guided capability has been achieved. Another thing is that thanks to the guided munitions, it can hit the moving targets in addition to the howitzer fixed. It can fire unguided missiles at targets up to 100 kilometres away.
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SH-15 Howitzer Salient Features
SH15 Howitzer has three salient features that have been particularly highlighted by Chinese sources.
The first is its fast mobility and firing. It takes three minutes for a traditional Towed gun to go from marching to a combat state. There, SH-15 Howitzer, meanwhile, can move from the parking lot to the combat position and fire six rounds, thanks to its automated electromechanical hydraulic system. Thanks to the wheeled chassis and compact design, the Howitzer can be quickly moved from one place to another by road.
According to Chinese sources, it is equipped with a world-leading automatic fire control system, which allows it to automatically adjust the gun’s height and settle shooting elements with the system upon receiving information about the target.
The second feature is its lighter and smaller size, which makes its mobility especially fast and easy to carry on the front line. It weighs only 25 tons, which makes it a light transport aircraft, and the road mobility is much faster than that of the Tracked vehicles. It can move at a speed of 90 km/h. Its vehicle has a range of 600 km.
The third salient feature is its flexibility. This howitzer can be deployed in all types of environments such as desert and plains as well as high altitude areas. China has recently deployed hundreds of units of this gun on its border with India. It can also be deployed in large numbers on the front lines through the rail network.
Pakistan Acquisition of SH-15 Howitzer
According to various sources, Pakistan has ordered more than 200 units in 2019. Heavy Industries Taxila has also presented this gun for display at the 2018 Ideas Exhibition. It is possible that Pakistan is locally manufacturing this howitzer under the Transfer of Technology because the Ministry of Defense Production of Pakistan has announced the transfer of technology for all Big Ticket Acquisitions in 2018-19.
It should be noted that Pakistan has tested the Serbian K1, also known as B52, including this gun, South African T5, Czech Republic guns and several Howitzers a few years ago. Some sources said that after the Pakistan Army had pointed out some improvements in SH-15 Howitzer, China had sent the upgraded version to Pakistan for re-trials. And since then, the gun has been acquired.
SH-15 Howitzer Deployment and Production
In the recent pictures, the acquisition of this gun by the Pakistan Army has been confirmed. And it will likely be manufactured locally at Heavy Industries Taxila under the Transfer of Technology. With the capabilities used in all areas and weather conditions, Pakistan will be able to deploy this gun system on the eastern border and move it easily when required. By deploying on the eastern border, it could target harden bunkers and other moving formations thanks to gun-guided munitions. This gun can be deployed in difficult areas such as the Line of Control.
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