Meng Model TS022 PLZ05 155mm SELF-PROPELLED HOWITZER

The PLZ-05 is a modern Chinese self-propelled gun on a tracked chassis. The first prototypes of the car were made in 2003, and serial production probably started in 2005 and is still going on. It is estimated that from 2005 to the end of 2017, approximately 300 vehicles of this type entered the line. The drive is probably provided by an 8-cylinder diesel engine with a capacity of 800-1000 hp. The armament - in the basic version - is a single 155 mm howitzer and a single 12.7 mm machine gun.

The PLZ-05 was designed and manufactured by the Beijing-based NORINCO concern to replace the Type 59-1 and Type 83 vehicles in the Chinese armed forces. The PLZ-05 self-propelled gun itself was most likely developed on the basis of a highly modernized PLZ-45 gun design. It is assumed that the PLZ-05 has a high rate of fire, and the maximum range of a conventional high-explosive shell reaches approx. 30 kilometers. The car has armor that provides protection against small arms and artillery fragments. Currently, the production of an improved version (PLZ-52) is confirmed, it is powered by a 1000hp engine, ensuring better performance, as well as the design of the main armament has been refined and the fire control system has been improved.