Pakistan deploys large number of Chinese SH-15 guns along India border
Pakistan has deployed Chinese-made SH-15 self-propelled artillery guns along its border with India, specifically in northern Punjab and occupied Kashmir. These 155mm systems are part of a broader modernization effort by the Pakistani military to improve range and accuracy in varied terrains.
Why it matters
The deployment of advanced Chinese military hardware by Pakistan alters the regional security balance and influences India's own artillery modernization plans.
Pakistan has deployed a large number of the China-acquired SH-15 wheeled self-propelled artillery guns against India. The 155mm 52 caliber gun system, made by the Norinco corporation, is known as the PCL-181 in China.Pakistan had ordered 236 pieces of these artillery guns in 2019, with deliveries beginning in 2022. A second lot was delivered in 2023. Pakistan also acquired a licence to produce this gun at the Heavy Industries Taxila plant, under a Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement. The procurement of the gun was part of a modernisation and standardisation drive for the Pakistani army's artillery arm.These guns have largely equipped formations facing India. Deployments are largely in Gujranwala, Sialkot and Jalalpur Jattan in the areas in depth in Pakistan from the Shakargarh bulge. The Shakargarh bulge is the area south of Jammu and north of Amritsar, with Pathankot to its east.
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