TSAMTO, January 26. The Armed Forces of Pakistan received the first batch of SH-15 155-mm self-propelled artillery units (ACS) ordered in China on a chassis with a 6x6 wheel formula manufactured by China North Industrial Corporation NORINCO (China North Industries Group Corporation Limited).
This was announced on January 25 by the Global Defense Insight resource, illustrating the material on its Twitter account with photos of SH-15 self-propelled guns transported on motor transporters.
Pakistan's armed Forces signed a contract for the purchase of 236 SH-15 howitzers with China Northern Industrial Corporation NORINCO on June 27, 2019. The agreement included a package of technical support and the transfer of necessary technologies. The sale cost amounted to 512 million dollars.
Preliminary tests of the SH-15 self-propelled gun were conducted at a test site in the Karachi area in early 2019. NORINCO received the first payment in the amount of $20 million at the end of November 2019. The company will also supply adapted ammunition for Pakistan's SV.
NORINCO Corporation presented the 155-mm SH-15 self-propelled gun in Pakistan in November 2018 as part of the IDEAS International Exhibition in Karachi. This is a new artillery system that was first demonstrated at the AirShow China Airshow in November 2018.
The SH-15 self-propelled gun is mounted on a Shaanxi chassis with a 6x6 wheel formula, equipped with a four-door armored cab with a 12.7 mm self-defense machine gun mounted on the roof. In the aft part of the chassis, a 155-mm gun with a 52-caliber barrel length is placed on a rotary platform. The range of azimuth guidance angles is 25 degrees. to the left and right of the axis of the car, in the angle of the seat - from 0 to +67.5 degrees. The calculation of the installation is 5 people.
The maximum rate of fire of the howitzer is 4-6 rounds/min. To maintain the rate of fire, the installation is equipped with a sender. A muzzle velocity measurement radar is installed in the rear of the barrel.
The firing range depends on the projectile/propellant charge combination. According to the company, the maximum firing range of 155-mm high-explosive active-reactive ammunition with extended-range bottom gas generator/rocket engine ERFB-BB-RA (Extended-Range Full-Bore -Base-Bleed-Rocket-Assisted) is 53 km.
For a long time, the command of the Armed Forces of Pakistan has been taking measures to strengthen the artillery of the ground forces, primarily through the purchase of more mobile platforms. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Pakistan has already purchased 36 units of 155-mm SH-1 self-propelled guns in China in the period 2013-2014 (according to CAMTO - 54 units in 2011-2013).
Currently, the Armed Forces of Pakistan also have 155-mm tracked self-propelled howitzers M-109 made in the USA, including 200 units M-109A2 and 115 units M-109A5, but the process of modernization of artillery continues through the purchase of new wheeled artillery systems. According to a number of analysts, the best option for Pakistan's SV is to purchase lighter guns that can be transported by multi-purpose helicopters on an external suspension.
