China’s leading land systems manufacturer, Norinco, continues to expand its defense industry modernization efforts with the introduction of a new truck-mounted howitzer system designed for export markets. The platform integrates a 155mm L/52 gun into an unmanned turret mounted on a 6x6 truck chassis, aiming to meet the demands of modern battlefields. The system was officially presented in a promotional video released during the Lunar New Year celebrations.

This advanced system combines the 14-ton SH16 unmanned turret with a 32-ton 6x6 chassis, resulting in a combat weight of nearly 70,000 pounds. For enhanced stability during firing, the vehicle is equipped with a rear-mounted earth spade. Operated by just two crew members inside an armored cabin, the system enhances both operational efficiency and crew protection under combat conditions.

According to Dennis Blasko, a former U.S. defense attaché in Beijing and Hong Kong, the system uses the same gun as the widely deployed PLC-181 truck-mounted howitzer of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Currently, more than half of PLA’s artillery brigades are equipped with PLC-181, with notable deployments in Xinjiang and Tibet. The International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance 2023 report states that around 600 PLC-181 units are in service.

China is also advancing in automation technologies for artillery. Recently, an automatic rotary magazine was developed, capable of holding at least seven magazine tubes, each carrying up to six propellant charges. This technology may be implemented in the SH16 and is likely to be part of China’s next-generation 155mm artillery systems. Experts emphasize that the PLA’s modernization over the past 15 years has significantly transformed its artillery force in terms of organization, equipment, and doctrine.