Bangladesh Army Eyes Chinese-Made Self Propelled Howitzer SH-15 as Dhaka Deepens Defence Ties with China

In yet another sign of Dhaka’s pivot towards diversified defence procurement, the Bangladesh Army is reportedly exploring the acquisition of the SH-15 155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer, a modern truck-mounted artillery system developed by China’s state-owned defence conglomerate, NORINCO.

This potential procurement comes at a time when Bangladesh is seeking to recalibrate its force structure to deal with evolving security challenges along its borders and in the wider Indo-Pacific region.

NORINCO — or North Industries Group Corporation Limited — has emerged as China’s flagship developer and exporter of advanced weapon systems, supplying cutting-edge land systems, armoured vehicles, and artillery platforms not just to the People’s Liberation Army but also to clients across Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East.

Bangladesh’s defence website confirmed that a senior Bangladesh Army delegation, comprising seven high-ranking officers led by Major General Mohammad Moazzem Hossain, Commander of the 7th Infantry Division, recently wrapped up a four-day working visit to China.

During this high-level tour, the visiting officers were given a comprehensive live-fire demonstration of the SH-15 system in action, showcasing its digital fire-control suite, semi-automatic loading mechanism, and robust logistics footprint, including its on-board ammunition storage and rapid reload capabilities.

This demonstration — hosted at the direct invitation of NORINCO — signals a significant potential shift in Dhaka’s procurement doctrine, opening the door wider to Chinese-made heavy artillery that could complement or eventually replace ageing legacy systems.

Defence observers note that Bangladesh’s decision to evaluate the SH-15 underscores a growing trend of pivoting towards Chinese and Turkish defence industrial bases, diversifying beyond traditional Western or Russian suppliers, especially as strategic competition intensifies across South Asia.

Bangladesh’s warming ties with Pakistan, itself one of the SH-15’s largest operators, further amplifies this trend.

Islamabad sealed a landmark order for 236 SH-15 units in 2019, with a unit cost estimated at USD 2.1 million (approximately RM9.9 million) each — a fraction of the cost of comparable Western platforms like the French CAESAR or Israeli ATMOS 2000.

In recent months, the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) has made headlines for its reported interest in acquiring up to 16 J-10C 4.5-generation multirole fighters, also from China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC).

This move would make Dhaka the second operator in South Asia — after Pakistan — to field the advanced J-10C, a jet that has gained heightened notoriety after Pakistan Air Force J-10Cs were credited with downing three Indian Rafales during a disputed aerial clash, according to Pakistani claims.

Local defence outlets recently quoted Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmud Khan acknowledging the urgent need to modernise Bangladesh’s combat aviation fleet to counterbalance regional airpower asymmetry.

“We are making every effort to acquire modern fighter aircraft and attack helicopters,” he reportedly told national media, reinforcing the BAF’s interest in the J-10C platform.

Sources close to the discussions suggest that Dhaka hopes to sign an initial deal for 16 J-10Cs in the first phase, with follow-on procurement of additional aircraft as part of a broader force modernisation roadmap.

The potential J-10C deal comes on the heels of Bangladesh’s milestone agreement with Turkiye to acquire 12 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Bayraktar TB2 drones, six of which are already operational with the Army since 2023.

The TB2 fleet — used for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) and offensive strike missions — has seen extensive combat validation in Syria, Libya, and Ukraine, adding critical persistent surveillance and precision-strike capability to Dhaka’s force posture.

Adding to this, the Bangladesh Navy is reported to be actively exploring a navalised Bayraktar variant to expand maritime situational awareness in the Bay of Bengal, reflecting the growing strategic role of drones in the country’s multi-domain operations.

Meanwhile, on the ground, the Bangladesh Army recently marked a milestone with the successful live-fire and operational deployment of the TRG-300 Kaplan Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), produced by Turkish defence heavyweight Roketsan.

The TRG-300, capable of precision strikes out to 120 km, was procured under a 2019 contract and is considered one of the most capable guided rocket artillery systems in the region, having proven its combat worth in Iraq and Syria.

Together, these acquisitions signal a clear intent by Bangladesh’s military leadership to develop a more agile, integrated, and networked force able to respond to threats ranging from border skirmishes to regional power projection by larger neighbours.

Against this backdrop, the SH-15 is gaining traction among regional armies looking for affordable yet credible mobile firepower that combines the mobility of a wheeled platform with the reach and lethality of modern 155mm artillery.

The SH-15 is the export sibling of the PLA’s PCL-181, a 155mm/52-calibre truck-mounted howitzer that has become a mainstay in China’s high-altitude brigades deployed in sensitive theatres like Tibet and Xinjiang.

Built on a 6×6 Shaanxi truck chassis, the SH-15 integrates a powerful 155mm gun, an automated loading system, and a digital fire-control computer with GPS or BeiDou satellite navigation, enabling precision strikes in complex terrain.

The system can fire between 4–6 rounds per minute, holds 27 rounds and 15 charges on-board, and can employ advanced rounds including laser-homing, GPS-guided, and top-attack projectiles, extending its effective range to 50–53 km when using rocket-assisted munitions.

This “shoot and scoot” capability — the ability to deploy, fire, and relocate rapidly — is vital for counter-battery survivability in modern artillery duels.

Thanks to its relatively light combat weight of 22–25 tonnes, the SH-15 can be airlifted by medium transport aircraft like the Y-9, providing valuable operational flexibility in remote or high-altitude theatres.

This mobility edge gives the SH-15 a tactical advantage over heavier tracked howitzers, especially in South Asia’s diverse terrain that ranges from coastal plains to mountainous borders.

At an estimated unit cost of USD 2.1 million (RM9.9 million), the SH-15 offers a more budget-friendly option than Western truck-mounted systems like the CAESAR — which can cost up to USD 6 million (RM28.4 million) — making it an appealing choice for emerging armies balancing capability with affordability.

Pakistan, Myanmar, and Ethiopia are already among confirmed operators of the SH-15, and NORINCO has aggressively marketed the system at international defence expos including the World Defense Show (WDS) in Saudi Arabia.

As great-power competition intensifies in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia, Dhaka’s push to expand its long-range precision fires, drone fleet, and modern fighters illustrates how mid-sized militaries are leveraging diverse supplier networks to hedge against regional volatility.

If the Bangladesh Army green-lights the SH-15 buy, it would not only boost the country’s deterrence posture but also deepen Dhaka’s strategic alignment with China’s expanding defence-industrial footprint across the region.

Combined with Pakistan’s growing arsenal of SH-15s, the introduction of the system into Bangladesh’s order of battle could alter the artillery balance on the subcontinent’s eastern flank.

In the era of hybrid warfare and high-tempo border stand-offs, truck-mounted artillery like the SH-15 is likely to remain a highly sought-after capability for militaries needing rapid-response indirect firepower that can adapt to multiple theatres.

As Bangladesh continues to forge new strategic partnerships with China and Turkiye — while maintaining close defence ties with Islamabad — its modernisation trajectory will be closely watched by both regional rivals and global arms suppliers.

Whether the SH-15 deal materialises or not, one thing is clear: Dhaka’s evolving procurement map underscores a calculated shift towards next-generation, cost-effective firepower to secure its national interests in a rapidly changing geostrategic environment.