PLL-01

The PLL-01, also known as the WAC-021, is a type of 155 mm howitzer designed by Gerald Bull and built by Chinese defense manufacturer Norinco.

History
In the 1980s, the Chinese military industry acquired the license to produce GHN-45 howitzer from Noricum, a subsidiary of the Austrian company Voest-Alpine, who developed CHN-45 based on the design of the GC-45 howitzer. GHN-45 (Gun, Howitzer, Noricum) featured several improvements to the original GC-45, such as better ammunition and fire control systems. Due to the design improvement, GHN-45 had considerably longer ranges than other 155 mm cannon systems used by NATO and Western countries. This capability initially caused worry for allied forces in the Persian Gulf War. The designer Gerald Bull was contacted by China to develop his work for them, which he agreed. China also purchased extended-range ammunition technology from him.

The Chinese production designation of the GHN-45 is WAC-021 and PLL-01, which entered service in 1987. China continue to acquire and develop other technologies for the PLL-01, such as precision guided projectiles GP1. China also mounted the PLL-01 onto an indigenous-designed tracked chassis, resulting in the PLZ-45 (also known as the Type 88) and an ammo-carrier based on the same chassis. The PLZ-45 did not enter service with the People's Liberation Army Ground Force because China still used the doctrine developed for the Soviet-standard 152 mm ammunition at the time. However, two major batches of PLZ-45s were sold to Kuwaiti in 1997 and to Saudi Arabia in 2008.

The weapon system has many names. W88/890 was likely the internal industrial designation. Type 89 is possibly a temporary designation for PLAGF, while PLL-01 is the official designation in PLA. An earlier export designation, or possibly prototype name, is WA-021 or WAC-21, with one of the names being corrupted. The update export name marketed by Norinco is AH-1.

Design
The PLL-01/WAC-021 is a license-produced variant of the Austrian NORICUM GHN-45 howitzer. Thus, the two systems are compatible in the choice of ordnance. The NORINCO Type WAC-021 has an auto-frettaged barrel 45 calibers long, fitted with a multi-baffle muzzle brake, which has an efficiency of 30 percent. A screw-type breech mechanism opening to the right is employed, and the chamber volume is 22.95 liters. The rifling employs 48 grooves with a twist of 1 in 20 calibers, and the grooves are understood to be three times deeper than the rifling depths found on comparable Western 155 mm designs. The weapon also accepts locally made Chinese ammunitions and NATO-compatible ammunitions.

The howitzer can fire a variety of ammunition. The standard ammunition is the Extended Range, Full Bore (EFRB), offering a much longer range than contemporary howitzer ammunition due to improved aerodynamics. The maximum range for EFRB is 30 km, longer than the standard M107 L39 155mm, which is rated at 24 km. The Extended Range, Full Bore, Base Bleed (EFRB-BB) is rated at 39 km. And the rocket-assisted munition (ERFB-BB-RA) is rated at 50 km, much longer than regular 155mm rocket-assisted munition rated at 30 km. The ammo type fired included high-explosive (HE), high-explosive fragmentation (HE-FRAG), illumination, smoke, white phosphorus, and cargo rounds.

One unique feature of PLL-01 and WAC-021 is the onboard auxiliary power unit (APU), which provides power to the hydraulics and the wheels, permitting the self-deployment and autonomous movement of the howitzer. For the earliest version, PLL-01 and WAC-021, the APU consists of an air-cooled diesel engine, developing 77 hp. It is mounted on the carriage, powring the emplacement and displacement of the howitzer. In an emergency, a single crew can jack the gun with the APU power in 90 seconds. The APU also allows the howitzer to move autonomously for 18 km/h. The maximum range for auto-propulsion is 100 km. Typically, the howitzer is towed by a 6x6 military truck, which carries the crew and ammunition. When towed, the highest permitted speed is 90 km/h. The export AH-1 has an improved APU with 110hp and increased auto-propulsion speed of 20 km/h.

Deployment
The weapon system is used by People's Liberation Army Ground Force and by the Iranian army as towed artillery. 50 to 150 such howitzer was built.

The PLZ-45 self-propelled howitzer was sold to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Algeria. It is also used by Iraq.

Variants

 * WAC-201: Export version, towed
 * PLL-01: Domestic production, towed
 * AH-1: Export version based on PLL-01, improved, towed
 * AH-2: Export version based on AH-1, 52 calibers with longer range, towed
 * FGT-203: Experimental 203 mm towed howitzer. Based on PLL-01, this artillery system was developed by Norinco in cooperation with Space Research International of Belgium.
 * W-90: Self-propelled 203 mm howitzer.
 * PLZ-45: Export, self-propelled version introduced in 1997
 * PLZ-05: Domestic production, self-propelled version introduced in 2005
 * SH-1: Export, truck-mounted version introduced in 2002

Operators

 * 🇩🇿 Algeria - PLZ-45
 * 🇪🇹 Ethiopia - AH-1
 * 🇮🇷 Iran - WAC-021
 * 🇰🇼 Kuwait - PLZ-45
 * 🇲🇲 Myanmar - SH-1
 * People's Republic of China - PLL-01, PLZ-05
 * 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia - PLZ-45