PLZ-45 was a NORINCO 155 mm tracked howitzer shaped strongly by export requirements.
PLZ-45 emerged from Chinese work on 155 mm artillery and was marketed heavily to foreign customers. It gave NORINCO a complete self-propelled gun-howitzer package, often discussed alongside its matching ammunition support vehicle and battery command system. The design helped China compete in the international artillery market before newer 155 mm systems appeared.
The system uses a 155 mm 45-caliber gun on a tracked armored chassis with an associated ammunition carrier.
PLZ-45 is generally described as a 155 mm/45-caliber self-propelled gun-howitzer with protection against small-arms fire and shell fragments. It fires standard and extended-range 155 mm ammunition, while the PCZ45 support vehicle improves sustained battery operations. Compared with newer 52-caliber systems, it is less advanced but remains a coherent export artillery package.
PLZ-45 is significant as an export-oriented Chinese artillery system used by several non-Chinese armies.
Operationally, PLZ-45 provides mobile long-range fire support to users that need a tracked 155 mm system without buying Western platforms. Its value lies in package affordability, ammunition support, and battery-level organization. It is most relevant in conventional fire-support and counter-battery roles, not direct-fire combat.
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