PCL-171
Chinese 122 mm self-propelled howitzer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The PCL-171 is an assault-vehicle-mounted, 122 mm self-propelled howitzer used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Ground Force.[1] The designation "PCL" is an acronym derived from pinyin (Chinese: 炮车榴弹炮; pinyin: Pào Chē Liúdànpào; lit. 'Gun Vehicle Howitzer').
| PCL-171 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Self-propelled howitzer |
| Place of origin | China |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2020–present |
| Used by | People's Liberation Army |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 11 t (11 long tons; 12 short tons) |
| Length | 6.54–7 m (21.5–23.0 ft) |
| Width | 2.38 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) |
| Shell | 122 mm (4.8 in) |
| Breech | Semi-automatic vertical wedge type breech block |
| Effective firing range | 18–22 km (11–14 mi) (conventional projectile) |
| Maximum firing range | 27–40 km (17–25 mi) (extended range projectile) |
Main armament | 122 mm howitzer gun |
| Engine | YC6DV1 V-type six-cylinder water-cooled supercharged inter-cooled diesel engine 295 hp (220 kW) |
| Suspension | hydropneumatic suspension |
Operational range | 700 km (430 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 120 km/h (75 mph) |
Development
The PCL-171 made its first public appearance during a CCTV report of an exercise in December 2020. According to the report, it entered service in the second half of 2020.[citation needed]
It was designed as an even more mobile and lightweight platform to complement the PCL-161, which is based on a larger truck chassis but also equipped with a 122 mm howitzer.
Design
Each battery consists of 6 PCL-171 guns, command vehicles, ammunition vehicles, reconnaissance vehicles and other equipment.[2] Some of the non-gun vehicles are based on Dongfeng Mengshi CTL181A 4×4 armoured vehicles, with at least two variants in service. The command vehicle has communications equipment mounted on the vehicle while the reconnaissance vehicle is fitted with a counter-battery radar system, including a radar antenna and an opto-electronic sight mounted on an elevating mast.[3]
Gun
The howitzer has a maximum firing range of 18–22 km (11–14 mi) with conventional ammunition and up to 27–40 km (17–25 mi) with extended range ammunition.[4] Each vehicle can carry 28 rounds of 122 mm rounds, for a total of 168 rounds of rounds for a battery of 6 guns.[2]
Vehicle
The PCL-171 is based on Dongfeng Mengshi 6×6 assault vehicle chassis, specifically the CTL181A variant.[5]
After the gun enters its firing position, 2 front hydraulic jacks and 2 backhoes can be automatically lowered to increase stability.[2] PCL-171 is fitted with hydropneumatic suspension, allowing better gun depression when direct firing.[6]
Deployment
In April 2020, at least 6 PCL-171s were deployed in a training exercise in an unknown location.[3]
Operators
China: People's Liberation Army Ground Force – 120 units as of 2022.[7]
