61 Chinese manufacturers gathered in Paris to sell artillery in a high-profile manner, uniformly adopting "NATO standards", and representatives of many countries stopped and stared, optimistic about what they wanted to buy? Pakistan was the first to send the order.
With the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the world arms market has been greatly expanded in the past two years, and in this context, the European International Defense Exhibition, the largest defense exhibition in Europe, has become an important stage for military enterprises of various countries to show their strength and explore new business opportunities.
It is worth mentioning that although the curtain has come to an end on this exhibition, the large-scale appearance of China's military industry has caused quite a stir and made European and American arms dealers feel more pressure.
After all, this gives international buyers, who have always been accustomed to purchasing equipment from the United States and Europe, a new choice.
(Illustration: PLZ-52 howitzer)
Therefore, China's military enterprises can be said to have made great efforts this time.
Compared with the previous edition, the number of Chinese manufacturers participating in the exhibition has surged from less than 10 in the past to 61, and the number of weapons and equipment models on display has also reached a record high.
Especially in the field of artillery armament, Chinese manufacturing has demonstrated its technological progress and market competitiveness, the most notable examples of which are the PLZ-52 self-propelled howitzer and the SH-15 truck gun.
First of all, the PLZ-52 self-propelled gun was developed on the basis of the PLZ-05 self-propelled gun for domestic use, and its predecessor was the PLZ-45 self-propelled gun. Since it was introduced to the market at the end of the 80s of the last century, it has successfully built a good reputation in Algeria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other countries.
Compared to the PLZ-45, the PLZ-52 has been significantly improved in a number of ways, such as increasing the number of barrel diameters from 45 to 52 times, which not only significantly increases the maximum range (reaching 40 to 50 km), but also improves the loading speed and maneuverability of the tracked chassis.
Although in the face of competition from the South Korean K9 self-propelled guns, the PLZ-52 has not yet been exported, its price-performance ratio in the international market is undoubtedly very attractive. At present, the PLZ-52 artillery gun has been tested in the UAE.
(Illustration: SH-15 truck gun)
As for the SH-15 truck gun, it has even received more attention than the PLZ-52 because of one of the advantages that is far ahead, that is, the good quality and low price.
As an export version of the PLC-181 type 155 truck gun, the SH-15, despite its relatively short firing range (only 27 km), has a compact structure and good maneuverability. These characteristics make the SH-15 a new star in the field of large-caliber artillery in China's foreign trade, and has been successfully exported to 236 units in Pakistan and 32 units in Ethiopia.
It is worth mentioning that the above two guns have one thing in common, that is, they both belong to the NATO standard artillery, and they are the lowest prices among similar products that can be found in the entire international market.
(Illustration: Pakistan sent an order for the first time and bought 136 sets of SH-15 truck guns)
This means that the appearance of these "fist products" this time is not only to "kick the hall" at the home of American and European arms dealers, but mainly to "grab business".
This is because the United States and Europe are busy with their own needs and Russia's production capacity is all invested in the war, which has created a situation in which supply exceeds demand in the global market, so this has created an opportunity for China's military industry to better enter the international arms market.
Gil Ettoro, senior editor of Defense News, stressed that more and more countries, including the European Union, South Korea, and even the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, are committed to reducing their dependence on U.S. military products, either by exploring and developing local or regional military manufacturing capabilities, or by seeking cheaper alternatives to expensive U.S.-made equipment.
This is evident in the attitude of France and Germany towards the F-35 fighter. Their refusal to import advanced U.S.-made fighter jets and their choice to jointly develop next-generation fighter jets reflects a re-examination of America's long-standing military dependence.
It should be noted that before the arrival of a huge opportunity, the United States will inevitably use its global influence to restrict the export of Chinese weapons systems, so the possibility of the above artillery entering the European market is not particularly large.
Of course, markets such as the Middle East and Africa will be a good choice. It is reported that Pakistan has now placed an order for 236 sets of SH-15 truck guns in one go.