Target Galwan Valley: China tests lightweight 122mm Howitzers

The Chinese PLA has tested a new lightweight 122-millimeter caliber wheeled howitzer besides a wheeled vehicle mounted HJ-10 anti-tank missile system.

The two new weapons made their first public appearance in live-fire drills in a high-elevation region in the Himalayas. The tests come in the backdrop of the arms build-up between India and China following the deadly clashes between troops of the two sides in the border region of Galwan valley.

The new 122mm howitzer looks similar to the PCL-181 155-millimeter caliber wheeled howitzer buthas a shorter barrel and four wheels instead of the PCL-181’s six wheels, Shanghai-based news website eastday.com reported.

The two new weapons are characterized by high mobility.A combined arms brigade attached to the PLA Tibet Military Command recently conducted a series of live-fire artillery exercises in the middle section of the Himalayas, which has an elevation of about 4,600 meters, China Central Television reported on Tuesday.

The drills featured anti-aircraft shooting and precision artillery strikes on hostile headquarters, missile installations and communication hubs using long-range rocket launcher systems. This was followed by live-fire coverage of hostile positions, bunkers and camps with howitzers, according to the report.

The new 122mm howitzer is more mobile and better-suited for air transport via tactical cargo planes like the Y-9. At the cost of range and firepower, the new howitzer’s smaller and lighter ammunition is easier to transport and reload, Wei, a military expert was quoted  as saying.

Besides tanks and armored vehicles, the HJ-10 can destroy low-speed aircraft like helicopters within a 10 kms radius, reports said.

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