The squadron's iconic PL-66 Type 152mm towed howitzer, which is still widely used due to its sturdiness, reliability and destructiveness. Despite the fact that it has been replaced by modern artillery, the PL-66 remains the mainstay of Chinese towed howitzers. Its features such as an anti-fragmentation shield and a semi-automatic sliding wedge bolt are already rare on modern artillery. Although it has been in service for a long time, the PL-66 is still the right-hand man of the squadron. But is there room for upgrading and improvement of this old and reliable **?How can it be improved?This is a question worth pondering. The PL-66 152mm towed howitzer is the squadron's signature, and although it has been in service for many years, it is still impressive for its sturdiness, reliability and destruction. Although modern artillery is emerging one after another, the PL-66 is still widely used and even adopted by some countries. Does this mean that there is still room for improvement in the PL-66 howitzer?Does its old exterior hide potential for upgrades?The PL-66 howitzer uses an anti-fragmentation shield similar to the Chinese Type 59 122 mm gun, which is already relatively rare in modern artillery.
Moreover, it uses a semi-automatic sliding wedge bolt with a maximum rate of fire of 5-6 rounds per minute, has the ability to fire both direct and indirect, and is compatible with all types of ammunition developed for the Soviet D-20. Could these unique designs be an entry point for the PL-66 to improve?Will the PL-66 be able to rejuvenate itself through the optimization and updating of the existing design?Despite the fact that the PL-66 howitzer has been in service with the squadron for many years, it is still a right-hand man. However, as technology continues to advance, is it necessary to upgrade it?Does the battlefield environment and needs of the new generation require the PL-66 to keep up with the times?How to upgrade its technology to meet the needs of modern warfare on the basis of maintaining its reliability is a subject that needs to be studied in depth. Overall, the PL-66 152mm towed howitzer, as the squadron's signature, is still memorable for its solidity, reliability and destruction, although it has gradually faded out of sight under the onslaught of modern artillery.
However, in the face of new war needs and technical challenges, whether there is still room for upgrading and improving this old and reliable **, and how to improve it, is a question worthy of in-depth study and improvement. What do you think about the improvement of the 66-mm towed howitzer of the PL-152 type?Feel free to leave a comment to share your views. Have you ever wondered if there is an artillery system that can be operated by only 6 crew members in an emergency, while being able to attack a variety of targets?Let me introduce you to a very good artillery system - the domestic PL-66 gun. It not only inherited the genes of the Soviet D-20 gun, but also localized and improved it. The firing range of the PL-66 gun was very impressive, with a maximum range of 17 with standard ammunition4 km, and the maximum range of using domestic rocket auxiliary shells has reached 22 km. At a range of 3 km, it is capable of easily penetrating 250 mm steel plates and is very effective against enemy armored targets. Even more impressively, the PL-66 gun can also fire 152 mm laser-guided projectiles. This technology was developed based on the Russian technology of Krasnopol laser-guided projectiles, which have a range of up to 20-25 km and are capable of attacking a wide range of targets.
This technology was introduced into China and obtained a production license. Although the predecessor of the PL-66 gun was the Soviet D-20 gun, it was still superior to the towed 155-mm guns of the West in the mid-to-late 1960s. It requires only 6 crew members to operate instead of the regular 10 soldiers. Although the rate of transmission may be affected, this is very convenient in emergency situations. The sequence of the PL-66 gun is very simple, it only takes about 3 minutes to deploy this gun, and it only takes 2-3 minutes to retract it. It was towed using a Shaanxi SX2150 6x6 military truck, which usually also carried the entire artillery crew's personnel and ammunition. All in all, the domestic PL-66 artillery is a very good artillery system. It has a respectable range and is very flexible, capable of attacking a wide range of targets, and is very convenient to operate in an emergency. Although its predecessor came from the Soviet Union, localization and refinement made it a very successful artillery system. One can't help but wonder if we can further improve the operational performance and attack power of artillery in the futureWhat are your thoughts on this?What important progress has the squadron made in the field of artillery?
What do you think of the artillery combat power of the squadron?China's PL-66 artillery battery used to be the towed howitzer of the main force of the squadron. Although it has now been replaced by the PLL-01 155mm L52 towed howitzer, the PL-66 still plays an important role in China's military development. In 1991, the PLL-01 began to be delivered to the squadron, which represented a significant advance in artillery. At the same time, an improved version of the PL-66, the Type 66-I, also brought a higher rate of fire and smoke screen masking capabilities. In addition to this, China has developed the Type 83 self-propelled howitzer and introduced a truck-mounted version of the PL-66. The latest version of the PL-66 is the APU-66-152, equipped with an auxiliary power unit, demonstrating the latest Chinese advances in artillery technology. In general, the squadron ** made significant progress in the field of artillery. From PL-66 to PLL-01 to APU-66-152, China's artillery technology has been constantly updated, and the combat power of artillery has also been significantly improved. With the continuous development of the squadron, we can expect to see the emergence of more advanced artillery systems to contribute more to China's national defense.
What important progress do you think China has made in the development of the artillery field?What do you think of the artillery combat power of the squadron?In 2020, a high-profile vehicle-mounted howitzer debuted with the APU-66-152, which originated in China and has been in service since 1966 and boasts an impressive array of features. With a 152 mm caliber gun body, each projectile weighs 4356 kg, the maximum firing range can reach 174 – 22 km with a maximum rate of fire of up to 5 – 6 rounds per minute. In addition, the howitzer has excellent maneuverability, taking only 3 minutes to be in place and 2 to 3 minutes to be withdrawn. These characteristics make it a lot of attention, but to fully evaluate its combat performance and adaptability, we need more information. Do you think such a vehicle-mounted howitzer can play an important role in modern warfare?Looking forward to your comment.