Chinese language state-owned media has revealed that the Folks’s Liberation Military Floor Pressure’s (PLAGF’s) 72nd Group Military is now working the brand new PCL-171 self-propelled howitzer(SPH). The PCL-171 is an assault vehicle-mounted 122 mm self-propelled howitzer utilized by the Chinese language Folks’s Liberation Military Floor Pressure. No particulars have been offered about when the 72nd Group Armyy started receiving PCL-171s, however the SPH kind is believed to have been handed over to the 72nd Group Military within the second half of 2020. The PCL-171 was designed as an much more cell and light-weight platform to enrich the PCL-161, which is predicated on a bigger truck chassis but additionally geared up with a 122 mm howitzer.
The PCL-171 is predicated on Dongfeng Mengshi (Eastwind Warrior) 6X6 assault automobile chassis, particularly the CTL181A variant. Dongfeng Mengshi is a household of 4×4 MRAP/off-road automobiles developed by Dongfeng Motor Group. Early generations of the automobile are license-built Hummer H1, whereas later generations of the automobiles are of indigenous design. Dongfeng Mengshi typically follows the development of American army necessities. For instance, CSK-141 is the Chinese language equal of an armor-plated bolstered Humvee, whereas CSK-181 is the Chinese language equal of the Joint Mild Tactical Car.
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Every battery consists of 6 PCL-171 weapons, command automobiles, ammunition automobiles, reconnaissance automobiles and different tools. A number of the non-gun automobiles are based mostly on Dongfeng Mengshi CTL181A 4×4 armoured automobiles, with not less than two variants in service. The command automobile has communications tools mounted on the automobile whereas the reconnaissance automobile is fitted with a counter-battery radar system, together with a radar antenna and an opto-electronic sight mounted on an elevating mast. The revelation signifies that the brand new SPH is now in service with not less than two PLAGF group armies: the 72nd (the Jap Theatre Command) and the seventy fifth (the Southern Theatre Command).
The howitzer has a most firing vary of 18- 22 km with standard ammunition and as much as 27 – 40 km with prolonged vary ammunition. Every automobile can carry 28 rounds of 122mm rounds, for a complete of 168 rounds of rounds for a battery of 6 weapons. After the gun enters its firing place, 2 entrance hydraulic jacks and a pair of again hoes may be routinely lowered to extend stability. The PCL-171 options an automatic fire-control system with computerized gun-laying, permitting all SPHs linked to the command automobile to press a single button to routinely lay their gun onto the goal. This performance makes the system a lot faster than towed howitzers utilizing handbook gun-laying.
