In an attempt to expand its artillery arsenal, the Bangladesh Army is planning to procure truck-mounted self-propelled howitzer guns from the state-owned China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (NORINCO), a key player in China’s defence industry that supplies weaponry and equipment to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Towards this end, a seven-member team of Bangladesh Army officers led by a Major General will leave for a four-day visit on May 25 to China to watch “live firing” by “155 mm SP Gun How SH-15” and ammunition storage for these highly mobile artillery pieces.
The SH-15 was acquired by the Pakistan Army following an agreement with NORINCO in 2019. The Bangladesh Army’s plans to acquire the same gun reflect its strategic reliance on Chinese defence technology to bolster its firepower.
The Bangladesh Army team will be headed by Major General Mohammad Moazzem Hossain, who is the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7th Infantry Division and Barishal Area Commander based at Lebukhali cantonment. The visit is at the behest of NORINCO, which had invited the Bangladesh Army for this live demonstration through a May 15 letter.
The SH-15-type vehicle 155mm cannon is NORINCO’s latest new vehicle and howitzer. The gun can fire a wide range of shells. Besides, the howitzer is also equipped with an automatic fire control system (AFCS). The SH-15 PC has a full combat weight of 25 tonnes, which is within the cargo capability of any medium-weight transport aircraft. These howitzers can be easily airlifted using transport aircraft such as Ilyushin-78.
The SH-15 vehicle-mounted howitzer is equipped with a military high-mobility truck chassis, which makes it effective for long-distance mobility. The howitzer’s rate of fire is at four to six rounds per minute. Its maximum road speed is about 90 kmph. A 12.7 mm heavy machine gun can be mounted on the truck roof for self-defence. The truck accommodates a gun crew of six.
Since the departure of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in August 2024, the Bangladesh Army has embarked on a rapid modernisation programme involving hardware acquisition from China.
As a part of this plan, Bangladesh Army’s Master General of Ordinance Branch Major General Abu Bakar Siddique Khan and other senior officers on May 13 met a four-member team of executives of China Vanguard Co Ltd to discuss plans to acquire HQ-17AE surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), JSG radars and FK-3 medium-range-surface-to-air missiles (MSAMs).
The HQ-17AE is a Chinese-developed, short-range surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept aerial threats at low and medium altitudes.
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The FK-3 is an all-weather medium-range, mobile, surface-to-air missile system, the export version of China’s HQ-22. It is designed to defend against various aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, and UAVs. The FK-3 can engage multiple targets simultaneously and has a range of up to 100 km.
