They are not letting their guard down.
Self Propelled Gun/Rocket Launcher
- Thread starter FORBIN
- Start date
I was asking about the new 155mm standard PLA has invented. According to @RichardGao, it is a 155mm shell, uses modular charge, and has a brass case. If I'm not mistaken, you can think of it sort of like 105mm NATO, just in 155mm, and uses modular charge instead of bag charge. The shape of the casing also might differ. If you're asking about my p.s. part, I was saying that currently NATO seems to be thinking about moving to modular charge from bag charge, or maybe they've have started doing so already.
If you're saying that standardization on 155mm is based on the market forces, then why do PLA decided to invent another 155mm standard instead of just piggybacking on NATO standard? IRRC Norinco has already done the R&D for NATO standard because export, so it's a pretty straightforward matter for PLA to just ask Norinco for some samples and then adopt it if it's to their liking.
No, what I said was that export versions of the gun use modular charge, domestic versions still use conventional brass cased charges with variable amount of bag charges.
So the final question would be, is there significant difference between PLA standard and NATO standard shell?
I imagine the difference is minor at best.
Here were shells supplied to UAE captured by Libyan Militia
It would be NATO standard
Now that you mentioned it, it seems you didn't even say anything about PLA 155mm charges, only export ones. My bad for that.
On that sidenote, why do PLA decide to use the conventional brass cased charges with variable amount of bag charges?
For me feel pretty strange since Norinco already have modular charges for 155mm NATO that PLA can just adopt instead of developing a whole new standard.
Could it be that PLA just have too many 152mm brass cases left and decided to neck it up to accomodate 155mm NATO produced by Norinco, hence it become a hybrid of 152mm charge and 155mm shell?
I found the old post, it was actually from last year
Self Propelled Gun/Rocket Launcher
Some high-resolution images of PLZ05 firing...
www.sinodefenceforum.com
If you ask me, they probably are NOT doing anything as complicated as recasing ammo. My guess is sticking with conventional charge bags is a matter of training and conservative procurement strategy.
Back to PLZ-45 again, that was for export, never adopted by PLA itself, yet it was probably one of the more advanced pieces of military equipment produced in China at the time. Finally after quite some time, they adopted PLZ-05.
Why do artillery units still wear the old type 69 steel helmet?
