NORINCO PCL-161

122mm Self-Propelled Howitzer Vehicle

China | 2020

"The PCL-161 provides the modern fighting ground forces of China with a lethal and lethal 122mm-armed howitzer platform."

Image from the Chinese Ministry of Defense; Public Release.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/21/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The modern Chinese Army - the People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) - relies on a bevy of self-propelled artillery options, both ballistic- and rocket-based. In the former, the service operates various caliber types to fulfill equally-various battlefield requirements. One such entry is the PCL-161 introduced in 2020. It operates in the Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH) role through a 122mm gun component, reaching targets out to 14 miles with conventional ammunition and up to 19 miles with Rocket-Assisted Projectiles (RAPs) at a rate of eight rounds-per-minute.

The PCL-161 was first noted in late-2020 and has since appeared in additional exercises involving the PLAGF.

The vehicle is fully-suspended on a 4x4 wheeled configuration weighing 14 tons. The crew rides in the light-armored cab which is seated over the bow of the truck over the powerpack. Four large road tires are situated at the extreme corners of the design for optimal balance with road height allowing for some cross-country mobility. When made ready-to-fire, the vehicle lowers the howitzer component to near-ground level where the breech can be easily accessed by the firing crew. Support arms are extended to help reduce the recoil effects of the firing action against that of the truck chassis, particularly over the rear section given the most stress. Reload projectiles are carried along the side of the vehicle which makes the PCL-161 something of an all-in-one mobile battlefield artillery solution for Chinese forces as well as interested foreign parties.

With digital assistance, the semi-automatic action is streamlined for the operating crew and accuracy is enhanced, reducing operator error as a result.

The result is a versatile solution that plays well into the modern mobile-minded approach to ground warfare. The Soviet-era 122mm caliber sits above the Western 105mm light form and under the heavier 155mm common to the United States fighting forces and others - giving it both acceptable engagement ranges and lethality-over-range.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the PCL-161 122mm Self-Propelled Howitzer Vehicle.

1 x Turbocharged diesel-fueled engine driving conventional 4x4 wheeled arrangement.
Installed Power

57 mph
92 kph
Road Speed

404 miles
650 km
Range

Structure
The physical qualities of the PCL-161 122mm Self-Propelled Howitzer Vehicle.

6
(MANNED)
Crew

28,660 lb
13,000 kg | 14.3 tons
Weight

Armament & Ammunition
Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the NORINCO PCL-161 122mm Self-Propelled Howitzer Vehicle.

1 x 122mm field howitzer seated over the rear of the truck.

AMMUNITION:
41 x 122mm projectiles carried on the vehicle itself.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the NORINCO PCL-161 family line.

PCL-161 - Base Series Designation.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the NORINCO PCL-161. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.

Total Production: 60 Units
Contractor(s): China NORth INdustries COrporation (NORINCO) - China

[ China ]

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Image from the Chinese Ministry of Defense; Public Release.

Going Further...
The NORINCO PCL-161 122mm Self-Propelled Howitzer Vehicle appears in the following collections:

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