In a move that signals a serious escalation in South Asia’s evolving arms race, the Pakistan Army has positioned dozens of newly acquired Chinese-made SH-15 155mm self-propelled howitzers along the Line of Control (LoC) with India. With approximately 80 units now deployed to forward positions, this development marks a significant shift in Pakistan’s military strategy and introduces a potent new threat to an already volatile border.
The deployment comes amid heightened regional tensions and renewed focus on long-range precision fires, an area in which India has recently taken the lead with its induction of advanced artillery systems. Pakistan’s acquisition and forward deployment of the SH-15 is seen by defense analysts as a strategic counterbalance to India’s growing artillery firepower.
The SH-15, developed by China’s state-owned defense giant NORINCO, is one of the most modern artillery platforms available on the international market. Based on the PCL-181 howitzer used by the People’s Liberation Army, the SH-15 brings unprecedented mobility, range, and firepower to the Pakistan Army’s arsenal.
Mounted on a 6×6 Shaanxi truck chassis, the SH-15 merges the firepower of a traditional howitzer with the mobility of a modern armored vehicle. This wheeled design enables rapid repositioning, a critical feature for “shoot-and-scoot” tactics that minimize vulnerability to enemy counter-battery fire.
The system is armed with a 155mm/52-caliber gun capable of firing standard NATO ammunition. When equipped with Extended Range Full Bore – Base Bleed (ERFB-BB) shells, it can hit targets beyond 50 kilometers. With GPS and inertial navigation systems integrated into its fire control suite, the SH-15 can carry out accurate, rapid strikes even in challenging terrain.
This digital backbone, combined with its high mobility, makes the SH-15 ideal for Pakistan’s diverse operating environments—from mountain ranges in Kashmir to the deserts of Sindh and semi-urban zones in Punjab.
The timing and placement of these artillery systems are deliberate. Forward deployment near strategic locations, including close to Lahore—just 50 kilometers from India’s border city of Amritsar—has sent alarm bells ringing across Indian military and intelligence circles.
India’s Northern Command, responsible for defending the country’s sensitive borders with Pakistan and China, has reportedly re-evaluated its artillery and logistics posture in light of the SH-15’s long-range strike capability. Given its compatibility with precision-guided munitions, the SH-15 could target Indian command centers, radar installations, ammunition dumps, and even civilian infrastructure deep within Indian territory.
What makes the system even more concerning for Indian strategists is its ability to fire GPS-guided artillery rounds with pinpoint accuracy. These projectiles are not only hard to intercept but can be delivered with minimal warning—posing a severe risk in a region where any exchange of fire can escalate rapidly.
Pakistan’s interest in the SH-15 dates back to 2019, when Islamabad signed a contract with NORINCO to purchase 236 units. The first consignment arrived in early 2022, and the system made its public debut during the Pakistan Day parade on March 23 of that year. A second batch of 56 howitzers arrived by April 2023, pushing the total number of deployed systems to more than 130.
These acquisitions are part of a broader push to modernize the Pakistan Army’s artillery forces. For decades, Pakistan relied on older systems, some dating back to the Cold War era. The induction of the SH-15 represents not just a technological upgrade but a doctrinal shift—favoring mobility, networked warfare, and precision engagement over the older model of static, massed firepower.
This shift mirrors similar trends in modern warfare, where mobility and precision now outweigh brute force.
India has not stood still in its artillery modernization. In recent years, it has inducted the K9 Vajra-T, a domestically produced version of South Korea’s K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer. With similar range and mobility to the SH-15, the K9 has already seen deployment in high-altitude areas like Ladakh during the standoff with China.
India is also fielding the Dhanush gun, an indigenously developed 155mm towed howitzer, to bolster its long-range firepower. Combined with rocket artillery and surveillance drones, these systems give India a formidable edge.
Pakistan’s SH-15 deployment is a direct counter to this evolving balance. It provides Islamabad with the means to match India in precision strike capability and maneuver warfare—especially in contested areas like Kashmir, where artillery duels are common and the stakes are high.
Beyond the battlefield, the SH-15 deployment underscores Pakistan’s deepening strategic alignment with China. Traditionally reliant on American and European arms, Pakistan has, in recent years, pivoted heavily toward Chinese suppliers due to cost, political alignment, and reliability.
The Pakistan-China defense relationship now spans fighter jets (like the JF-17), submarines, air defense systems, and increasingly, land combat platforms like the SH-15. This shift reflects Islamabad’s desire to insulate its military procurement from Western sanctions and embargoes—a concern given the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s own economic vulnerabilities.
For Beijing, the SH-15 deal is part of a broader strategy to entrench Chinese military technology across South and Southeast Asia. As Chinese influence expands through the Belt and Road Initiative and defense exports, partnerships like these help solidify China’s role as a regional hegemon.
The Line of Control remains one of the most militarized and volatile borders in the world. Ceasefire violations, infiltration attempts, and artillery skirmishes are routine. In such a theater, the SH-15’s speed and firepower give Pakistani forces a powerful tool to quickly suppress enemy firing positions or strike troop concentrations.
Its GPS-guided projectiles offer an edge in counter-battery fire, allowing Pakistan to strike Indian artillery units while minimizing civilian casualties and collateral damage—a critical factor in controlling escalation.
Analysts note that the SH-15’s mobility enables it to redeploy across the LoC in hours, rather than days, giving Pakistani commanders more flexibility. This could prove decisive in scenarios involving rapid escalation or localized skirmishes, where time and precision are of the essence.
However, the deployment also introduces new risks. Both India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons, and any conflict along the LoC carries the potential to spiral into a broader war. The addition of precision artillery like the SH-15 increases the temptation to engage in limited but high-impact strikes—a strategy fraught with potential for misjudgment.
Military analysts warn that precision capabilities, while theoretically stabilizing, can paradoxically increase the likelihood of conflict. The belief that one can achieve military objectives with minimal escalation could lead to riskier behavior on both sides.
With both countries now fielding precision artillery systems and investing in surveillance and targeting technologies, the LoC is effectively entering a new era of high-tech stand-off warfare.
As of early 2025, Pakistan continues to integrate the SH-15 into its broader force structure. With training, logistics, and command-and-control systems being refined, military officials say full operational deployment across the Eastern front could be completed within the year.
In India, the developments have sparked a re-evaluation of artillery preparedness and procurement timelines. While the K9 and Dhanush guns remain key platforms, Indian defense planners are reportedly considering expanding satellite-guided munitions programs and investing in counter-artillery radar and loitering munitions.
Meanwhile, international observers will be watching closely. The LoC has long been a flashpoint, and the arrival of high-powered, precision-guided artillery only adds another layer of complexity to an already fragile peace.
The deployment of the SH-15 howitzers along the Line of Control marks a pivotal moment in South Asia’s security dynamics. Pakistan’s investment in mobile, precision artillery not only shifts the balance of firepower but also deepens its strategic ties with China.
While the systems offer tactical advantages and bolster deterrence, they also raise the stakes for miscalculation in a region already teetering on the edge. As precision replaces volume in modern warfare, and alliances shift in a multipolar world, the guns along the LoC are once again loaded—not just with shells, but with consequences.
