(VIDEO) Pakistan Deploys Chinese SH-15 Howitzers Along India Border: New Long-Range Artillery Threat Emerges

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – In a bold escalation of its artillery capabilities, the Pakistan Army has deployed dozens of newly acquired Chinese-built SH-15 155mm self-propelled howitzers to strategic locations along the Line of Control (LoC) with India, amid rapidly intensifying regional tensions.

Local defence media report that Pakistan has mobilized approximately 80 SH-15 155mm artillery systems to bolster its forward deployments, a move seen as part of a deliberate strategy to offset India’s growing dominance in long-range precision fires.

The SH-15, developed by China’s defence heavyweight NORINCO, brings to the Pakistan Army a mobile, rapid-response artillery platform capable of striking targets up to 50 kilometers away, thereby extending the reach and lethality of its ground forces.

The arrival of these high-powered artillery systems markedly reinforces Pakistan’s ability to deliver devastating counter-battery and interdiction fire along one of the world’s most heavily militarized borders.

Islamabad had inked a landmark contract with NORINCO in 2019 to procure a total of 236 SH-15 155mm/52 caliber self-propelled howitzers, signaling a broader shift towards Chinese-made, networked ground combat systems.

The first shipment of SH-15s reached Pakistan in January 2022, and the weapon system made its public debut during the Pakistan Day military parade on 23 March 2022, highlighting its central role in the country’s artillery modernization efforts.

By April 2023, a second delivery batch comprising 56 SH-15 units had been completed, substantially increasing Pakistan’s capacity to field mobile long-range fires across multiple theatres of operation.

The SH-15, an export derivative of the Chinese PCL-181 system, is mounted on a Shaanxi 6×6 armored truck chassis, combining mobility, protection, and firepower in a single highly survivable platform designed for high-tempo maneuver warfare.

Outfitted with a 52-caliber barrel, the SH-15 is capable of firing standard NATO 155mm artillery rounds to ranges exceeding 53 kilometers when using Extended Range Full Bore–Base Bleed (ERFB-BB) munitions, offering a critical stand-off strike advantage.

The integration of a fully digital fire control system, along with satellite-guided GPS and inertial navigation technologies, enables the SH-15 to rapidly engage targets with minimal setup time, ensuring swift shoot-and-scoot operations vital for surviving enemy counter-battery fire.

Its wheeled configuration grants the SH-15 superior strategic and operational mobility compared to traditional tracked howitzers, making it especially suited for deployment across Pakistan’s varied terrains — from the rugged Himalayas and the Thar Desert to complex semi-urban battlegrounds.

Military analysts widely interpret Pakistan’s SH-15 acquisition as a calculated counterweight to India’s ongoing expansion of its artillery forces, particularly the induction of the South Korean K9 Vajra-T self-propelled howitzer and the indigenous Dhanush gun.

Importantly, the SH-15’s compatibility with precision-guided munitions, including GPS-guided artillery projectiles, dramatically enhances Pakistan’s ability to execute high-accuracy strikes against critical enemy nodes such as command posts, logistics hubs, and frontline concentrations.

The strategic implications of this capability are profound, given the dense concentration of military and civilian infrastructure along both sides of the LoC, where escalation could rapidly spiral into broader conflict.

Beyond its technical prowess, the SH-15 purchase underscores the deepening China-Pakistan defence nexus, which has expanded from fighter aircraft and submarines to now encompass sophisticated land-based strike systems, further solidifying Beijing’s role as Islamabad’s primary strategic benefactor.

This diversification reflects Pakistan’s pragmatic effort to reduce dependence on Western arms suppliers, whose deliveries are increasingly vulnerable to political conditions, sanctions, and technology denial regimes in the current multipolar world order.

Today, the SH-15 stands as a cornerstone of Pakistan’s evolving artillery doctrine, providing a mobile, flexible, and lethal platform capable of dominating both conventional engagements and cross-domain operations across its eastern and western frontiers.

Defence experts affirm that the SH-15’s deployment significantly augments Pakistan’s deterrent posture, particularly in the face of heightened instability across South Asia, fueled by India’s assertive border policies and the volatile situation in Afghanistan.

The high mobility and rapid-firing capabilities of the SH-15 grant the Pakistan Army greater tactical options in shaping the battlespace, allowing for quicker concentration of firepower and rapid displacement to avoid countermeasures.

The forward positioning of SH-15 units, notably near Lahore — a mere 50 kilometers from India’s city of Amritsar — has raised alarm in Indian military circles, with fears that strategic sites could be subjected to precise long-range bombardment in the event of hostilities.

Crucially, the SH-15’s ability to deliver GPS-guided projectiles over 53 kilometers places major Indian military installations, logistic routes, and civilian infrastructure within range, fundamentally altering operational planning for Indian Northern Command forces.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA