Pakistan has deployed 250 Chinese-made SH-15 self-propelled howitzers to strengthen its military position along the border with India. The truck-mounted guns can be moved easily between locations.
The Hindustan Times reported the deployment Monday, Aug. 3, citing India Today.
The report, citing senior Indian intelligence sources, said the 155 mm guns had been positioned at key locations along Pakistan’s eastern frontier facing India, from north to south.
It described the deployment as Pakistan’s largest military buildup since India launched its counterterrorism campaign, Operation Sindoor, in May 2025. India’s armed forces began the operation after 26 people were killed in an April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that year.
Features of the SH-15
China’s state-owned arms manufacturer Norinco makes the 155 mm SH-15 self-propelled howitzer. According to defense publication Janes, the gun is mounted on a six-wheeled vehicle with a fully enclosed canvas-covered four-door cab. A 12.7 mm machine gun is mounted on the roof. The system uses a 400-horsepower diesel engine and has a power-to-weight ratio of 15.68 horsepower per metric ton.
The howitzer can fire shells 30 to 40 kilometers and is compatible with NATO specifications, including the alliance’s 155 mm standard. It can therefore use NATO-standard ammunition of the same caliber.
Norinco said the maximum range depended on the ammunition. Its special high-explosive rocket-assisted projectile can strike targets up to 50 kilometers away.
India Today said the howitzer had an automated fire-control system and a hydraulic system that stabilized the vehicle on the ground. The system can be deployed quickly, fire six rounds in 60 seconds and move before an adversary can respond.
China-Pakistan military ties
The deployment highlights deepening military ties between China and Pakistan, which have strengthened in recent years. At a recent event in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir described relations between Beijing and Islamabad as unique and time-tested. The report, citing Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations, said Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong, Chinese Defense Attaché Maj. Gen. Wang Zhong and other Chinese Embassy officials attended.
Pakistan proposed a $67.49 billion budget in June this year as it sought to maintain an International Monetary Fund loan program. The plan reduced development spending while increasing the defense budget.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told Parliament that the government would allocate 3 trillion Pakistani rupees to defense in the new fiscal year beginning in July, an increase of 18 percent from the outgoing year.
After Operation Sindoor last year, Pakistan praised the Chinese-made system in its arsenal and said it had performed exceptionally during the conflict with India.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report