ASIA PACIFIC , CHINA OFFERS COMPLETE ARTILLERY PACKAGE
JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY
DATE: 20-May-1998
Christopher F Foss
London
TEXT:
China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) has revealed that it is
offering a complete artillery package based on its 155mm/45 calibre
PLZ45 self-propelled artillery system. The Kuwait Land Forces has
confirmed that it is the first export customer for the PLZ45 (Jane's
Defence Weekly 8 April).
As well as the PLZ45, the package also includes an ammunition
resupply vehicle based on the same tracked chassis, forward
observation vehicle on tracked or wheeled chassis, battalion/battery
command post vehicle on a YW 534 full-tracked armoured personnel
carrier chassis, artillery location and fire-correction radar on a
6 x 6 chassis, meteorological radar on a 6 x 6 chassis and a Type
653 armoured recovery vehicle (ARV), based on a Type 69 tank
chassis, with the crane uprated to 20 tonnes.
The PLZ45 has a maximum range of 39km, firing an extended range full
bore base bleed (ERFB-BB) projectile, or 30km firing a standard ERFB
projectile. The on-board fire-control system includes an automatic
gun-laying system, optical sights, navigation system and a Global
Position System receiver.
The ammunition supply vehicle is almost identical in concept to the
US United Defense LP M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle
(FAASV) which has been in service with the US Army for some years.
The similar Chinese vehicle carries 90 projectiles and associated
charges, which are fed to the PLZ45 via a conveyor belt at a rate of
eight rds/min. Standard equipment includes an auxiliary power unit
and a crane for loading pallets of ammunition through the roof.
It is not certain whether the Kuwait Land Forces ordered the
complete PLZ45 artillery system or only howitzers. The US government
letter of offer to Kuwait for 48 155mm/39 calibre M109A6 Paladin
self-propelled artillery systems included support vehicles such as
FAASV and ARVs, radars and a meteorological system.
A total of 64 of the latest M992A2 FAASV were included in the
package. These could be for the M109A6 as well as the PZL45 or to
supply the survivors of the 39 M109 series howitzers delivered
before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.