Pakistan Enhances Long-Range Firepower with Deployment of Chinese SH-15 Artillery Guns Along Indian Border
Pakistan has significantly bolstered its long-range conventional firepower by deploying Chinese-made SH-15 wheeled self-propelled artillery guns along its borders with India. This deployment is part of Pakistan's ongoing efforts to modernise its artillery capabilities, aiming to enhance its stand-off strike capacity on its western front.
The SH-15 artillery system, known in China as the PCL-181, is a 155mm, 52-calibre system manufactured by the Chinese state-owned company Norinco. Pakistan initially ordered 236 of these systems in 2019, with deliveries starting in 2022 and further shipments arriving in 2023.
Reports suggest that many of these artillery units have been strategically positioned in areas facing India, including Gujranwala, Sialkot, and Jalalpur Jattan. These locations are crucially situated behind the Shakargarh Bulge, a strategically important region between Jammu and Amritsar, with Pathankot positioned to its east. This deployment aims to enhance Pakistan's artillery presence across key sectors along the International Border.
It is reported that the SH-15 systems were utilised during Operation Sindoor, indicating Pakistan's efforts to integrate new long-range artillery into its operational framework. In northern Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the SH-15 serves as Pakistan's primary wheeled self-propelled artillery system. Meanwhile, units deployed opposite Rajasthan and Gujarat predominantly use older US-made M-109 tracked self-propelled howitzers, which are preferred for desert operations.
The acquisition of the SH-15 is part of Pakistan's wider initiative to update its artillery capabilities in response to regional military changes. Additionally, a Transfer of Technology agreement with China has been secured, facilitating local production of the artillery system at Heavy Industries Taxila. This initiative is expected to aid in long-term expansion and maintenance of the fleet while reducing dependency on imports.
The SH-15 provides a significant upgrade for Pakistan, combining strategic mobility and rapid deployment capability. Mounted on a high-mobility 6×6 truck chassis, it can fire various 155mm ammunition types, including rocket-assisted projectiles with engagement ranges exceeding 50 kilometres, thus offering enhanced precision and flexibility on the battlefield.
Military analysts highlight that the combination of long-range artillery, rockets, and missile systems strengthens Pakistan’s ability to conduct stand-off precision strikes and improves its conventional fire support. The SH-15's mobility facilitates quick repositioning, enhancing its survivability against counter-battery fire.
Meanwhile, India is also pursuing an extensive artillery modernisation programme with a focus on developing indigenous capabilities. The Indian Army has incorporated M777 Ultra-Light Howitzers, K-9 Vajra-T self-propelled guns, and Dhanush artillery guns and has ordered 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS), an indigenously developed 155mm, 52-calibre artillery system aimed at boosting long-range firepower.
Currently, the Indian Army lacks a wheeled self-propelled artillery system equivalent to the SH-15. However, development of an indigenous Mounted Gun System (MGS) based on the ATAGS platform is underway. Initial firing trials have been completed, and the programme is expected to enhance the Army's mobile artillery capability in the coming years.
The deployment of the SH-15 is indicative of the ongoing modernisation of conventional artillery capabilities in South Asia. Both India and Pakistan continue to invest in longer-range, more accurate, and highly mobile artillery systems, underscoring the importance of artillery in deterrence, rapid response, and conventional military operations along their sensitive frontiers.
