by78
General
Is this the first known visual confirmation that the Marines are equipped with PCL-181s?
Self Propelled Gun/Rocket Launcher
- Thread starter FORBIN
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Is this the first known visual confirmation that the Marines are equipped with PCL-181s?
Why not use the arm that loads the shell to load the charge as well?
I would say yes, there were maybe some pictures of blue camoed PCL181 leaked by the manufacturer, but this is the first time it's been seen in the field operated by the Marines.
The shell goes into the chamber much deeper than the charge, that's why it's a two-person job to load the shell manually.
Unless the gun breech is too high to reach by a person, loading charge manually is the simplest way.
You generally need a separate arm to load the shell and a separate arm to load the charge (that would be considered "fully automatic"). For example, see the 8x8 Caesar.
PCL-181 has a semi-automatic reload, where the shell is done by the arm, and the charge done manually. It's cheaper, but more importantly, lighter than a fully automatic system.
One other way I can think of is to have two stages, just like a multi-stage launch vehicle. The export A300 apparently uses this method to get really long range:
Wait, does this mean to suggest that 155mm in the PLAMC are being introduced at the combined arms brigade level?
In PLAGF, 155mms are operated by artillery brigades, while PLAGF combined arms brigades have 122mms as tube artillery.
PLAMC doesn't have any artillery brigades.
So... would the PLAMC be the first to have maneuver brigades with 155mms organic to them?
New confirmation on 300mm/370mm modular MLRS designation.
It's called PCH-191, not PHL-16.
It's called PCH-191, not PHL-16.
If so this would be a significant development. As you say, the Combined Arms Brigades (CABs) only have 122mm as organic. It could be that, given the transfer of some Ground Force Brigades to the Marines and the overall increase in the number of Marine CABs, they will stand up a Marine Artillery Brigade with 155mm guns.