Pakistan has reportedly deployed 250 China-made SH-15 truck-mounted self-propelled howitzers along its border with India in a bid to strengthen its military capabilities.
The 155mm artillery systems have been positioned across major sectors along Pakistan’s eastern frontier with India — from north to south — India Today reported, citing top intelligence sources.
This is the most significant development Islamabad has made in terms of military enhancement since India’s counterterrorism mission, Operation Sindoor, in May 2025. India’s armed forces launched the operation after the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, which left 26 people dead.
What to know about SH-15 Howitzers?
Manufactured by China’s state-owned defence company NORINCO, the SH-15 is a 155 mm self-propelled gun-howitzer.
The system is mounted on a 6×6 chassis with a four-door, fully enclosed cab, which also has a 12.7 mm machine gun mounted on the roof, according to Janes, a defence intelligence publisher.
SH-15 is powered by a 400-horsepower diesel engine with a power-to-weight ratio of 15.68 horsepower per tonne.
The artillery platform can fire standard NATO-compatible ammunition ranging from 30 to 40 km.
While the maximum range of the howitzer depends on the projectile combination, NORINCO has reportedly said that the SH-15 has a maximum range of 50km when firing its high-explosive extended-range full-bore base-bleed rocket-assisted (HE-ERFB-BB-RA) projectile, according to Janes.
The SH-15 also has an automatic fire-control system and hydraulic stabilising spades that allow forces to quickly deploy, fire up to six rounds per 60 seconds and switch positions before the enemy can respond with counter measures, India Today reported.
China-Pakistan defence ties
The latest development is also an indication of deepening defence ties between China and Pakistan, which have steadily grown in recent years.
Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir said recently at an event in Rawalpindi that the relationship between Beijing and Islamabad is “unique, time-tested, and has remained steadfast in the face of evolving regional and global challenges.”
Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, China’s defence attache, Major General Wang Zhong, and other officials from China’s mission were in attendance at the event, the report said, citing Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations.
In June this year, Pakistan reportedly proposed a $67.49 billion budget, raising defence spending, limiting development expenditure and setting a sharp tax target as Islamabad tried to keep its IMF programme intact without a political fallout at home.
Pakistan’s finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told the Parliament that the government would allocate three trillion rupees (local currency) for defence in the fiscal year starting July, an 18 per cent increase from the outgoing year.
Last year, after Operation Sindoor, Pakistan boasted the capabilities of the Chinese weapon system in its armoury, claiming it performed “exceptionally well” in the clashes with India.( _HT_)
