Pakistan likely to acquire Chinese PLZ-45 self-propelled howitzers

[Gryphon]

PLZ-45 155 mm self-propelled howitzer

The PLZ-45 / Type 88 is a 155mm / 45 calibre full-tracked self-propelled artillery system. Patterned on the original American M109, it has a similar design and appearance while incorporating a more powerful engine to improve mobility on a heavier chassis. It uses similar ordnance to the towed NORINCO 155mm WAC-021 system. The enclosed rotating turret may incorporate NBC protection and a fire suppression system.

NORINCO offers the PLZ-45 as part of a complete artillery package which includes a full-tracked ammunition support vehicle almost identical in concept to the US United Defense M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle (FAASV).

Specifications:

Powerplant diesel - 525 hp

Speed 34 mph
Weight 33 tons
Height 2.6 m

Armament
1 x 155mm main gun
1 x 12.7mm machine gun

Rate of Fire 4-5 rounds/min
Range 39 km ( ERFB-BB ammunition )

Status:
The PLZ-45 is known to have been exported to a least two countries - Kuwait and Saudi Arabia - as well as being deployed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Pakistan has shown interest in the howitzers, and will probably acquire them soon.

Sources:
Janes Information Group, Wikipedia, fas.org , CHINA AND THE MIDDLE EAST: From Silk Road to Arab Spring By Muhamad Olimat

 

[Zarvan]

PLZ-45 155 mm self-propelled howitzer

The PLZ-45 / Type 88 is a 155mm / 45 calibre full-tracked self-propelled artillery system. Patterned on the original American M109, it has a similar design and appearance while incorporating a more powerful engine to improve mobility on a heavier chassis. It uses similar ordnance to the towed NORINCO 155mm WAC-021 system. The enclosed rotating turret may incorporate NBC protection and a fire suppression system.

NORINCO offers the PLZ-45 as part of a complete artillery package which includes a full-tracked ammunition support vehicle almost identical in concept to the US United Defense M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle (FAASV).

Specifications:

Powerplant diesel - 525 hp

Speed 34 mph
Weight 33 tons
Height 2.6 m

Armament
1 x 155mm main gun
1 x 12.7mm machine gun

Rate of Fire 4-5 rounds/min
Range 39 km ( ERFB-BB ammunition )

Status:
The PLZ-45 is known to have been exported to a least two countries - Kuwait and Saudi Arabia - as well as being deployed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Pakistan has shown interest in the howitzers, and will probably acquire them soon.

Sources:
Janes Information Group, Wikipedia, fas.org , CHINA AND THE MIDDLE EAST: From Silk Road to Arab Spring By Muhamad Olimat

On Wikkipedia it has been for quite long but what is the latest news here ?

 

[fatman17]

PA is sticking to the american 155mm SP guns.

 

[BDforever]

good stuff, Bangladesh also bought it.. has now 70 units of it.

plan to have around 130 units

 

[S.Y.A]

buy it and try to have a licensed production facility for it

 

[Gryphon]

PA is sticking to the american 155mm SP guns.

China is marketing PLZ-45 , PLZ-52 and PLZ-04 (54 calibre)

I read recently that Army had trialed PLZ-45's and PLZ-52's ... But PLZ-45 was selected as it has already reached NATO standard which the PLZ-52 hasn't ..

On Wikkipedia it has been for quite long but what is the latest news here ?

They are likely to be acquired soon according to CHINA AND THE MIDDLE EAST: From Silk Road to Arab Spring.

good stuff, Bangladesh also bought it.. has now 70 units of it.

plan to have around 130 units

Three battalions in service with the Bangladesh Army ... and more to be procured .. Great going ... Bangladesh Army's Modernization Plan is progressing steadily. Unfortunately, ours isn't ... 297+ M109A5's were to be acquired .. But only 115 were delivered .. Production of MKEK Panters at HIT was also started in 2011 but It seems no progress was made ..

buy it and try to have a licensed production facility for it

Let HIT produce some 200 Panter's first ... then only expect something new. ...

 

[BDforever]

Three battalions in service with the Bangladesh Army ... and more to be procured .. Great going ... Bangladesh Army's Modernization Plan is progressing steadily.

thanks ,we are procuring Nora B-52 too for greater range

 

[Gryphon]

thanks ,we are procuring Nora B-52 too for greater range

Bangladesh Army received three PLZ-45 battalions (probably 54 units) in 2010 - 2011 .. It has ordered a battalion (18 units) of Nora B-52 with range between 40-60 ... Looks more deadly than the CAESAR .....

 

[BDforever]

Bangladesh Army received three PLZ-45 battalions (probably 54 units) in 2010 - 2011 .. It has ordered a battalion (18 units) of Nora B-52 with range between 40-60 ... Looks more deadly than the CAESAR .....

70 units of PLZ-45 right now BD has , BD armored vehicle battalion = 40-44 units

Nora B-52 k1 range =65 km

 

[RAMPAGE]

PLZ-45 155 mm self-propelled howitzer

The PLZ-45 / Type 88 is a 155mm / 45 calibre full-tracked self-propelled artillery system. Patterned on the original American M109, it has a similar design and appearance while incorporating a more powerful engine to improve mobility on a heavier chassis. It uses similar ordnance to the towed NORINCO 155mm WAC-021 system. The enclosed rotating turret may incorporate NBC protection and a fire suppression system.

NORINCO offers the PLZ-45 as part of a complete artillery package which includes a full-tracked ammunition support vehicle almost identical in concept to the US United Defense M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle (FAASV).

Specifications:

Powerplant diesel - 525 hp

Speed 34 mph
Weight 33 tons
Height 2.6 m

Armament
1 x 155mm main gun
1 x 12.7mm machine gun

Rate of Fire 4-5 rounds/min
Range 39 km ( ERFB-BB ammunition )

Status:
The PLZ-45 is known to have been exported to a least two countries - Kuwait and Saudi Arabia - as well as being deployed by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Pakistan has shown interest in the howitzers, and will probably acquire them soon.

Sources:
Janes Information Group, Wikipedia, fas.org , CHINA AND THE MIDDLE EAST: From Silk Road to Arab Spring By Muhamad Olimat

yar we can make our own right ! then why buy?btw last time i heard hit were making their own 155mm

 

[Gryphon]

yar we can make our own right ! then why buy?btw last time i heard hit were making their own 155mm

That project was revealed during IDEAS 2002 but nothing has come out ... Probably, the project was cancelled or stalled ...

So, forget about indigenously designed 155mm self propelled howitzer ..... We should go for the PLZ-45 and then manufacture it locally under ToT .... Each PLZ-45 costs 5 million dollars ..

T-155 Firtina is another howitzer which we can get under ToT .. It's also cheaper than PLZ-45 ... Each unit costs 3 million dollars ..

70 units of PLZ-45 right now BD has , BD armored vehicle battalion = 40-44 units

Nora B-52 k1 range =65 km

Each PLZ-45 battalion generally consists of 18 guns, divided into 3 batteries of 6 each ..But the battalions exported to Saudi & Kuwait consisted of 24 or 27 units each ...

Has BD ordered Nora B-52's or the B-52 K1 version ...

 

[BDforever]

Each PLZ-45 battalion generally consists of 18 guns, divided into 3 batteries of 6 each ..But the battalions exported to Saudi & Kuwait consisted of 24 or 27 units each ...

Has BD ordered Nora B-52's or the B-52 K1 version ...

thanks for the info then BD might follow Saudi battalion units standard (3*24=72 units)

Nora B-52 k1 has been ordered with extra feature of SAGEM Sigma 30 inertial navigation platform system for autonomous navigation and pointing

 

[Gryphon]

thanks for the info then BD might follow Saudi battalion units standard (3*24=72 units)

Nora B-52 k1 has been ordered with extra feature of SAGEM Sigma 30 inertial navigation platform system for autonomous navigation and pointing

Saudi acquired 54 PLZ-45's, two battalions each with 27

Kuwait procured 27 + 24 + 24 = 75 (three battalions)

Bangladesh's battalions may be exactly similar to those of Kuwait 27 + 24 + 24 .... The extra three in the first batch were ordered by Kuwait to form a training platoon ....

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

Bangladesh Army received three PLZ-45 battalions (probably 54 units) in 2010 - 2011 .. It has ordered a battalion (18 units) of Nora B-52 with range between 40-60 ... Looks more deadly than the CAESAR .....

Nora b-52 is indeed very good system,but caesar is completely different league.Its half the weight [18 tons]so is easily air transportable,the bangladeshi guns are specially fitted with the SAGEM sigma-30 inertial navigation platform system for autonomous navigation and pointing,this is the same french system used in the caesar. But uniquely caesar also has The FAST-Hit computerised fire management system, developed jointly by Nexter and EADS Defense Electronics, an Intertechnique ROB4 muzzle velocity radar system.
CAESAR is also more C4I integrated,Caesar is integrated with the Thales Land and Joint Systems Atlas artillery C4I (command, control, communications and intelligence) system. The system provides onboard terminals for communications and real-time firing sequence management including fowarding of fire-support requests and transmission of firing orders according to target type, ammunition type and gun availability.
Another advanatge for caesar is ability to fire 2 advanced rounds,the OGRE .Ogre dispenses 63 bomblets, each fitted with a self-destruct mechanism. The bomblets are capable of penetrating more than 90mm of armour. A salvo of six Ogre shells releases 378 bomblets to saturate an area of 3ha at a range of 35km.
And the BONUS anti tank round.
The Bonus round carries two smart anti-tank submunitions to a range of 34km. A top-attack flight profile delivers the explosively formed penetrator (EFP) warhead to the roof of the tank which is generally more vulnerable than the heavily armour-protected sides and front.
Also caesar's normal round has 35 km range,nora 20 km range.
As for 65 km range round,thats not yet available.For now extended range is about 39-41km.More or less same as caesar.
Rate of fire is also similar.

 

[AUSTERLITZ]

PLZ-45 is modern spg,Its got Good FCS, This artillery system has a high degree of operation autonomy and quick reaction time. The fire control system consists of automatic laying system, and GPS-based gun orientation and navigation systems.
On the good side it can fire PGMS ,except specialized anti tank munitions possibly.But its local copy of krasnopol laser guided projectile has low range of 20 kms.Range of standard round is 24 kms and extended range round 39 kms.This is a little low due to 45 calibre gun rather than 52 calibre standard.Also weight is around 34 tonnes,so doubtful where it can be air transported by any of pakistani transport aircraft.

Provided that pakistan already has muchsuperior 52 calibre sh-1 which also air transportable i would say no PA doesn't need this system.
The SH1 self-propelled howitzer was developed by NORINCO for the export market. Development of this artillery system commenced in 2002. It was first revealed in 2007. Details of this artillery system were released at the same time as were details of the smaller SH2 122-mm truck-mounted howitzer. Pakistan acquired approximately 90 SH-1 truck-mounted howitzers.

The SH1 is armed with a 155-mm / L52 howitzer. It is compatible with all standard 155-mm NATO ammunition, as well as ammunition developed by NORINCO. Claimed maximum range of fire is 53 km which was achieved with a rocket assisted V-LAP projectile using charge zone 10. In addition this artillery system is able to use indigenous precision guided munitions, based on the Russian Krasnopol technology.

Ammunition box of the SH-1 artillery system houses 25 rounds of seven different types and their modular charges.
Before firing a large spade is lowered to the ground. It provides more stable firing platform.
The SH1 is fitted with a computerized fire control system, navigation, positioning and targeting systems. Vehicle receives target information from artillery command vehicle.But sh-1 is wheeled platform.

The only reason PA could get this system is because it wants higher calibre wheeled Self propelled howitzers.The current M109A5 isn't all that impressive with normal range of 23km and rocket assisted projectile round of only 30km.This sis because of its 39 calibre gun.The PLZ-45 will be better than this.Though PA shouldn't have need of this as it atm easily has arty superiority.