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NORINCO PCL-09

2009 MODERN SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY

History

The Chinese Army has followed global changes and embraced the concept of a lighter, more mobile ground force. This can be demonstrated by the introduction of battlefield elements such as the PCL-09, a 6x6 wheeled self-propelled artillery carrier vehicle capable of long-range transport of warheads of various types. The system is thought to have appeared in or around 2009 and was publicly demonstrated during a military exercise in 2010.

The Chinese Army has about 6 PCL-09 trucks per battery pack and is assigned several accompanying support vehicles (radar command post, command post, etc.).

PCL-09 is offered for export from China as CS/SH-1.

The vehicle components of the system are Shaanxi 6x6 military trucks with dual-axle rear wheels and steerable single-axle front wheels. A central tire inflation system allows the rider to control the air pressure of each tire unit based on the terrain. The cab is located in the usual position at the front of the truck and has good all-round visibility. The nacelle sits on a turbodiesel powerplant for propulsion power.

At the rear of the truck is a 122mm howitzer, which can be trained to fire in the desired direction. The full crew of the truck and weapons consisted of five people. Armor protection is light, making the cab and gunner extremely vulnerable to any danger on the battlefield.

The main weapon of the PCL-09 is the PL-96 series (or Type 96) 122mm field howitzer. It retains its recoil mechanism and slotted muzzle brake, as well as its semi-automatic bolt loader.

This weapon is a locally manufactured/developed version of the century-old Soviet-era D-30 system (detailed elsewhere on this site) used during the Cold War (1947-1991).

Like other weapons of this type, the PCL-09 is used as a long-range combat solution capable of providing fire support to ground forces. The mobility nature of the vehicle allows the weapon to be moved, fired and moved again within a short period of time. Before firing, the support legs were lowered into the ground in the center of the chassis to help absorb the violent recoil inherent in this weapon.

The firing group can use a variety of basic and special types of projectiles, including high-explosive, fragmentation (HE-FRAG), anti-infantry, smoke, white phosphorus, incendiary, precision-guided missiles, and nuclear/biological bombs. The achievable range is up to 18 kilometers, but like other weapons in this class, rocket-assisted projectiles (RAPs) can be used, increasing the deployment range to 27 kilometers.

The truck itself carried about 40 projectiles ready to fire, with additional supplies coming from the included ammunition carrier.

The launch process is supported by a semi-automatic reloading mechanism and a digital fire control system (FCS). It took less than a minute to set up the vehicle and weapon systems, and six rounds were fired in three minutes. The crew can then "press" the vehicle to change position and repeat the launch process at a different location.

This maneuverability is sure to frustrate enemy observers and provide the PCL-09 with a formidable defense against responding air strikes on its positions.