The PLZ-05 or the Type 05 is a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by the People's Liberation Army of China to replace the Type 59-1 130 mm towed gun and Type 83 152 mm self-propelled gun. The PLZ-05 was officially unveiled at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution to mark the 80th anniversary of the PLA in July 2007, and first entered service with the PLA in 2008.
History
In 1980s, Chinese military manufacturer Norinco acquired the license to produce GHN-45 howitzer from Noricum, a subsidiary of the Austrian company Voest-Alpine, who developed GHN-45 based on the design of the GC-45 howitzer. GHN-45 (Gun, Howitzer, Noricum) featured several improvements over the original GC-45, such as better ammunition and fire control systems. Due to the design improvements, 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.[7] The designer Gerald Bull was contacted in late 1980s by China to develop his work, which he agreed. China also purchased extended-range ammunition technology from him.[8]