Pakistan parades its nuke capable howitzer first time
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Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday for the first time put on show some of its key military inductions.
The Pakistan Day parade featured Chinese-made SH-15 self-propelled howitzer and other multi-dimensional capabilities, according to a report in IANS.
Daily Pakistan reported that modern artillery, capable to hit great distance, is mounted on 6x6 Shaanxi truck chassis with an armoured cabin at the front.
It also comes with a 155 mm gun-howitzer mounted at the rear of the vehicle.
What is called "shoot and scoot" artillery weapon, SH-15 is used for nuclear shells, according to the report.
As part of modernising its artillery forces, Pakistan Army acquired the wheeled self-propelled howitzer.
Being lighter than a tracked howitzer, it can be more easily deployed in the mountainous region.
The weapon system has a maximum firing range of 20 km with standard ammunition and 53 km with a rocket-assisted artillery projectile, IANS reported.
The report said that Pakistan possess about 500 tracked self-propelled howitzers. This includes 200 American-made M109A2, 115 M109A5, 123 M109L, and 203mm 60 M110/M110A2 mounted on tracked chassis.
Quoting analysts the report said that weapons systems was given by Beijing as part of Sino-Pak strategy to counter Indian K-9 Vajra howitzers.
The Pakistan Day parade also featured the new Chinese Chengdu J-10 (J-10C) fighter jets for the first time.
