Well as i have promised, here’s an little essey of Chinese artillery and modern artillery trends in general. I will conserate mostly to the PLA mechanised brigades artillery branch as the mechanised brigades are the becoming (or at least they should) the main operational unit of Chinese land forces. The idea of this writing this topic came when i read Asko Sivula’s article (Military Technology 6/1998) about self-propelled artillery vs. towed artillery. He compared these two branch basicly thru cost-effective comparison. I’m going to use his calculations in bases of this post. By all means please feel free to comment and discuss about my statements, i would gladly take part on good artillery discussion wich we unfortunetly didn’t have in the old forum.
Chinese land forces are in the face of big changes as the old “quanty-over qualityâ€- ideology is giving away to more modern military thinking. All branches of PLA are inflicted by these new winds and one of the most visible additions are the new mechanised brigades introducted along side whit the old-shcool divisions and regiments. These mechanised brigades are based on the idea of movment. Strategic mobility is a key element of these forces and it gives lots of new standarts for the equipment in use. Some of the older PLA vehicles and weapons just no longer cope whit these new regulations.
One branch wich clearly faces new proplems and challenges is artillery. No longer can PLA rely on the mass of soviet based towed artillery. Artillery of these new brigades needs to change and come to update along whit the other fields. Acording to Dongfengs main sites section “Army order of battleâ€, a typical mechanised brigade consist one artillery regiment that is divided to one tupe artillery battalion (122mm) and one MRL battalion. The 122mm tube artillery battalion is to my knowlidge supposedly armed whit Type 89 122mm SP howitsers. But before we take closer look to the PLA’s mechanised brigades artillery force lets have brief summary about artillery in general, it’s role in the battlefield and current trends of development.
Artillery is still the main way to provide instant fire support to infantry and armoured troops (as in finnish army, the armour is usually included under the infantry, so when ever i say infantry, i mean the front line field troops) . Although different kinds of SOWs and heavy infantry usually gets most of the puplicity in media thus igniting the imaginery of many young military enthustiastic, i like to remind that its the artillery that does the destroying and the infantry only manouvres. In all wars of the last century, the artillery has coused most of the damage inflicted in the battlefield. It has also been studyed that among the weterans of the WWII, the artillery fire consentrations were the most feared factor in the battlefield. Artillery can cheaply provide warpower able to destroy all enemy forces and installations whit in its range and therofore, in full scale warfare, no missiles or Ground support aircraft can replace the artillery branch.
As technology has gone forwards, so have the development of artillery pieces. After WWII self-propelled artillery have become the main issue in all artillery discussion by giving much improvments to the old towed howitzers and guns. If few to be mentioned, tactical mobility and crew protection are most significant ones. Althoug many rich western world country have almoust completely dropped towed guns and howitsers out of their inventory, exspecially light towed howitsers have managed to gain their popularity among countryes whit difficoult enviromental conditions. The cost of the SP artillery have also being great factor against them at least in less developted countryes.
One of the revolutionary introductions have been the auxiliary power unit for towed guns. It has given almoust equal tactical mobility to towed guns and howitsers compared to Self propelled ones. From here we get to the Asko Sivula’s article and based on that lest have a little comparison between SP guns vs. Towed ones.
The calculations where made based on that both towed and SP batteryes used 155mm/52cal Gun-howitsers. Here’s the exact prices of average SP and Towed batteryes:
155mm Towed Battery
6 x 155/52cal gun/howitzers US$5.0 mil.
6 x amoured haulers (6x6) US$2.4 mil.
1 x Battery commad vehicle US$0.5 mil.
1 x repair/recovery vehicle US$0.5 mil.
6 x ammo supply trucks (6x6) US$1.1 mil.
Total: US$9.5 mil.
155 SP battery
6 x 155/52 cal SP systems US$25.0 mil.
1 x battery command vehicle US$1.8 mil.
1x repair/recovery vehicle US$1.6 mil.
6 x Ammo supply vehicles US$6.6 mil
Total: US$35.0 mil.
All the calcualtions where made by assuming that single towed artillery battery would consist 75 mens and SP battery 40 mens. Sivula included the personal exspences to the total cost wich where made in four country groups: first group was wealhty country whit enlisted personel, seccond was wealthy country whit conscription system, third was unwealhty country whit enlisted personel and the last one was unwealthy country whit conscription system. China would fall tho the third group. In that country group based on Sivula’s calculations two towed artillery batteryes would cost 13% less than single SP propelled one.
Cost isen’t the only factor when choosing the proper artillery system. The one key element is the ability to provide continious, effective and longrange heavy firepower in all phases of battle. These elements are achived whit tactical mobility or by an adequte numbers of firing units. SP battalions capapility to achive these demands is the posipility to maintaining single battery in fire posistion while the rest of the battalion is on the move. But as the whit the prize of single SP battalion, one can assume that the two towed battalions can provide even more uninterrupted fire support as the one battalion can stay on the fire position while other is moving thus providing more fire via more tubes than the single SP battalion. The effective fire is mostly dependant on the munitions and as both these theoretical battalions uses the same caliber therefor same ammunitions can be used.
To be able to sustain combat readyness in the all phases of battles is also an key element. Towed battalion is more complex than the SP battalion and therefor deployed much more wider area. Thats more of an advatage than default as the fire positions are in wider scale and providing much more harder target to enemy aircrafts and guided munitions. SP artillery enjoys higher protection from splinters and artillery fragments and bomblets. In the other hand SP artillery provides more evident target to guided anti-tank munitions and enemy ground attack aircrafts than towed ones. Also if towed guns are hauled by 6x 6 amoured vehicles as in the calculations, the gun crew is provided and adequate protection at least in the movement phase. When the firing range is exeeded to 40 km, the need for artillery to stay so close to the foward edge of the battlefield isen’t no longer relevant.
Based on these facts the Towed guns seems to be far more rational choise for artillery battalions that the self propelled ones. That isen’t the case. Much is dependent on the operational unit wich the artillery battalion is asingned. In divisional and army corps level the towed artillery is the clearly the best choise. In other hands all amoured brigades and regiments gainmore by having SP artillery battalions as the whole brigade/regiments main units are also moved by tracks. (this essey mostly bases on the fact that most SP systems are tracked) In units where the wheeled APCs are the main infantry fighting units mobilition, the tracked SP systems no longer enjoys the avantage. The SP systems are needed to be hauled whit expensive special haulers when the brigade is on the move and therefor complicating the whole units fighting ability. In here the modern towed APU fitted gun battalions comes to its own. Whit the cost of single SP battalion, two towed ones could be included and therefor greatly increase the brigades capapilityes.
Form here we get back to the Chinese mechanised brigade. To my knowlidge the chinese mechanised units are mostly fitted whit the WZ551 wheeled ACPs, so the ideal artillery system would be Towed gun battalion. As stated previously the brigade is fitted whit single battalion for 122mm SP howitzers. The 122mm Type 89 is the newest of SP artillery systems introducted in PLA, but there is also reports that the new 155mm PZL-45 would soon been fielded by PLA as well.
But is china on the wrong tracks? Well my personal view is that it isent. When looking for china there’s always have to be remembered that the modernisation programe wich affects all branches of Chinese military is still just getting started. The whole mechanised brigade is one part of that big and timeconsuming project. The main issue for chinese artillery modernisations is the adaption of the 155mm calibre and thus gaining the possipility to western modern artillery munitions and systems. The type 89 towed gun is the first step, and there is already a export model fitted whit APU. So i personally belive that in some times of the future China will introduct that weapon or perhaps a modified one for PLA service and the mechanised brigades gets the most suitable artillery system what there is.
Chinese land forces are in the face of big changes as the old “quanty-over qualityâ€- ideology is giving away to more modern military thinking. All branches of PLA are inflicted by these new winds and one of the most visible additions are the new mechanised brigades introducted along side whit the old-shcool divisions and regiments. These mechanised brigades are based on the idea of movment. Strategic mobility is a key element of these forces and it gives lots of new standarts for the equipment in use. Some of the older PLA vehicles and weapons just no longer cope whit these new regulations.
One branch wich clearly faces new proplems and challenges is artillery. No longer can PLA rely on the mass of soviet based towed artillery. Artillery of these new brigades needs to change and come to update along whit the other fields. Acording to Dongfengs main sites section “Army order of battleâ€, a typical mechanised brigade consist one artillery regiment that is divided to one tupe artillery battalion (122mm) and one MRL battalion. The 122mm tube artillery battalion is to my knowlidge supposedly armed whit Type 89 122mm SP howitsers. But before we take closer look to the PLA’s mechanised brigades artillery force lets have brief summary about artillery in general, it’s role in the battlefield and current trends of development.
Artillery is still the main way to provide instant fire support to infantry and armoured troops (as in finnish army, the armour is usually included under the infantry, so when ever i say infantry, i mean the front line field troops) . Although different kinds of SOWs and heavy infantry usually gets most of the puplicity in media thus igniting the imaginery of many young military enthustiastic, i like to remind that its the artillery that does the destroying and the infantry only manouvres. In all wars of the last century, the artillery has coused most of the damage inflicted in the battlefield. It has also been studyed that among the weterans of the WWII, the artillery fire consentrations were the most feared factor in the battlefield. Artillery can cheaply provide warpower able to destroy all enemy forces and installations whit in its range and therofore, in full scale warfare, no missiles or Ground support aircraft can replace the artillery branch.
As technology has gone forwards, so have the development of artillery pieces. After WWII self-propelled artillery have become the main issue in all artillery discussion by giving much improvments to the old towed howitzers and guns. If few to be mentioned, tactical mobility and crew protection are most significant ones. Althoug many rich western world country have almoust completely dropped towed guns and howitsers out of their inventory, exspecially light towed howitsers have managed to gain their popularity among countryes whit difficoult enviromental conditions. The cost of the SP artillery have also being great factor against them at least in less developted countryes.
One of the revolutionary introductions have been the auxiliary power unit for towed guns. It has given almoust equal tactical mobility to towed guns and howitsers compared to Self propelled ones. From here we get to the Asko Sivula’s article and based on that lest have a little comparison between SP guns vs. Towed ones.
The calculations where made based on that both towed and SP batteryes used 155mm/52cal Gun-howitsers. Here’s the exact prices of average SP and Towed batteryes:
155mm Towed Battery
6 x 155/52cal gun/howitzers US$5.0 mil.
6 x amoured haulers (6x6) US$2.4 mil.
1 x Battery commad vehicle US$0.5 mil.
1 x repair/recovery vehicle US$0.5 mil.
6 x ammo supply trucks (6x6) US$1.1 mil.
Total: US$9.5 mil.
155 SP battery
6 x 155/52 cal SP systems US$25.0 mil.
1 x battery command vehicle US$1.8 mil.
1x repair/recovery vehicle US$1.6 mil.
6 x Ammo supply vehicles US$6.6 mil
Total: US$35.0 mil.
All the calcualtions where made by assuming that single towed artillery battery would consist 75 mens and SP battery 40 mens. Sivula included the personal exspences to the total cost wich where made in four country groups: first group was wealhty country whit enlisted personel, seccond was wealthy country whit conscription system, third was unwealhty country whit enlisted personel and the last one was unwealthy country whit conscription system. China would fall tho the third group. In that country group based on Sivula’s calculations two towed artillery batteryes would cost 13% less than single SP propelled one.
Cost isen’t the only factor when choosing the proper artillery system. The one key element is the ability to provide continious, effective and longrange heavy firepower in all phases of battle. These elements are achived whit tactical mobility or by an adequte numbers of firing units. SP battalions capapility to achive these demands is the posipility to maintaining single battery in fire posistion while the rest of the battalion is on the move. But as the whit the prize of single SP battalion, one can assume that the two towed battalions can provide even more uninterrupted fire support as the one battalion can stay on the fire position while other is moving thus providing more fire via more tubes than the single SP battalion. The effective fire is mostly dependant on the munitions and as both these theoretical battalions uses the same caliber therefor same ammunitions can be used.
To be able to sustain combat readyness in the all phases of battles is also an key element. Towed battalion is more complex than the SP battalion and therefor deployed much more wider area. Thats more of an advatage than default as the fire positions are in wider scale and providing much more harder target to enemy aircrafts and guided munitions. SP artillery enjoys higher protection from splinters and artillery fragments and bomblets. In the other hand SP artillery provides more evident target to guided anti-tank munitions and enemy ground attack aircrafts than towed ones. Also if towed guns are hauled by 6x 6 amoured vehicles as in the calculations, the gun crew is provided and adequate protection at least in the movement phase. When the firing range is exeeded to 40 km, the need for artillery to stay so close to the foward edge of the battlefield isen’t no longer relevant.
Based on these facts the Towed guns seems to be far more rational choise for artillery battalions that the self propelled ones. That isen’t the case. Much is dependent on the operational unit wich the artillery battalion is asingned. In divisional and army corps level the towed artillery is the clearly the best choise. In other hands all amoured brigades and regiments gainmore by having SP artillery battalions as the whole brigade/regiments main units are also moved by tracks. (this essey mostly bases on the fact that most SP systems are tracked) In units where the wheeled APCs are the main infantry fighting units mobilition, the tracked SP systems no longer enjoys the avantage. The SP systems are needed to be hauled whit expensive special haulers when the brigade is on the move and therefor complicating the whole units fighting ability. In here the modern towed APU fitted gun battalions comes to its own. Whit the cost of single SP battalion, two towed ones could be included and therefor greatly increase the brigades capapilityes.
Form here we get back to the Chinese mechanised brigade. To my knowlidge the chinese mechanised units are mostly fitted whit the WZ551 wheeled ACPs, so the ideal artillery system would be Towed gun battalion. As stated previously the brigade is fitted whit single battalion for 122mm SP howitzers. The 122mm Type 89 is the newest of SP artillery systems introducted in PLA, but there is also reports that the new 155mm PZL-45 would soon been fielded by PLA as well.
But is china on the wrong tracks? Well my personal view is that it isent. When looking for china there’s always have to be remembered that the modernisation programe wich affects all branches of Chinese military is still just getting started. The whole mechanised brigade is one part of that big and timeconsuming project. The main issue for chinese artillery modernisations is the adaption of the 155mm calibre and thus gaining the possipility to western modern artillery munitions and systems. The type 89 towed gun is the first step, and there is already a export model fitted whit APU. So i personally belive that in some times of the future China will introduct that weapon or perhaps a modified one for PLA service and the mechanised brigades gets the most suitable artillery system what there is.
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