A striking new piece of military hardware — a very large 155 mm naval gun — has been photographed installed aboard a Chinese weapons test ship, an installation that would represent the largest caliber naval gun ever seen on a vessel associated with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The sighting has triggered intense analysis among defense observers who see it as a potential indicator of evolving Chinese naval doctrine that increasingly values extended naval gunfire support alongside missile systems in future operations.
Late this week, images began circulating on social media and Chinese defense forums that show what appears to be a Type 910 weapons trials vessel bristling with an unprecedentedly large gun mounted in a turret on the ship’s bow. The photos — low in resolution but unmistakable in content — were taken at Liaoning Shipyard, also known as the Dalian Liaoning South Shipyard, situated adjacent to the PLAN’s major Lushun Naval Base in northeastern China. That shipyard has been a focal point of several advanced weapons developments in recent years, including trials of stealthy warship designs and other novel systems.
Observers note that the new gun visually dwarfs the standard naval main gun systems seen on China’s frontline warships — an unmistakable departure from existing PLAN surface combatants. The precise date when these photos were taken remains unclear, and no official Chinese military release has confirmed the imagery. Nevertheless, the mounting of this weapon on a dedicated test platform strongly suggests that the system is entering a serious phase of evaluation.
While official technical specifications are scarce, ancillary evidence from earlier online leaks and imagery provides a tentative profile of the gun. A data plate previously shown on Chinese military forums — widely shared in late 2025 — indicated the gun system weighed roughly 21,800 kg (48,060 lbs), and was capable of firing guided projectiles, a key capability for precision effects at range. Reports also link the design to a division of China North Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO) — specifically the **Inner Mongolia Northern Heavy Industries Group — known for producing large‑caliber artillery and howitzers on land.
NORINCO’s portfolio includes a wide range of 155 mm ground artillery systems, and the adaptation of that expertise to the naval domain represents a significant extension of capability. Historically, NORINCO has been involved in both towed and self‑propelled 155 mm artillery for the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF), with systems such as the PLZ‑05 self‑propelled howitzer and the PCL‑181 wheeled 155 mm system serving as mainstays of China’s modern artillery forces.
At present, PLAN surface combatants are equipped primarily with a 130 mm main gun system — fielded as the H/PJ‑38 and H/PJ‑45 single‑barrel guns, design derivatives of the Soviet‑era AK‑130 twin‑gun weapon. These guns appeared first on the Type 052D destroyer in the early 2000s and have since been fitted to newer Type 055 class destroyers. Their maximum effective range is difficult to pin down precisely in open sources, but by analogy to the AK‑130’s roughly 23 km (14 mile) range, they offer more modest reach than a 155 mm weapon of comparable technology might.
The shift from a 130 mm to a 155 mm main gun — roughly analogous to the U.S. Navy’s old 5‑inch (127 mm) standard — represents a step toward considerably greater range and firepower. Naval artillery at 155 mm caliber can theoretically propel projectiles over longer distances with larger explosive payloads, and — crucially — provide greater flexibility for firing precision‑guided munitions.
The choice of 155 mm caliber for naval guns is far from random. Around the world, 155 mm artillery systems are standard for land forces because they represent a good balance of range, firepower, and ammunition volume. When adapted to naval platforms, such guns can provide a naval gunfire support (NGFS) capability that complements longer‑range missile strikes and aircraft strikes, especially in littoral operations where ships might need to support amphibious landings close to shore.
For China, these missions have strategic relevance. Planning documents and strategic concepts published by China’s defense academia and defense media have often emphasized the challenge of “island conflict scenarios” — a reference to contingencies such as a potential cross‑Taiwan Straits conflict — where sustained shore bombardment could be essential to neutralize enemy defenses and support amphibious forces. Unlike missiles, which are expensive and limited in logistics, guns can deliver high volumes of fire at lower per‑round cost.
It’s also worth noting that globally, novel ammunition types are being developed for 155 mm guns that extend their utility beyond simple ballistic shots. In the United States, for example, the Army has tested ramjet‑powered 155 mm rounds capable of extended range and velocity, and both U.S. Army and Navy units have experimented with gun‑launched precision glide munitions such as the Long Range Maneuvering Projectile (LRMP). Such ammunition could, in theory, allow 155 mm guns to engage not only land and sea targets but — in specific contexts — aerial targets and incoming threats, significantly broadening the tactical envelope of naval artillery.
The installation of the 155 mm gun on a Type 910 test ship suggests that the PLA is exploring how a higher‑caliber gun could factor into its evolving naval strategy. There are several possible scenarios:
- Amphibious Operations Support
China is investing heavily in amphibious capabilities, evident through the development of large amphibious assault vessels such as the Type 076 class — designed with expanded aviation and landing support capabilities — and the ongoing expansion of the Type 075 fleet. These ships, along with auxiliary vessels and beach‑establishment landing barges, show a clear emphasis on the logistics and firepower needed for large‑scale landings. A 155 mm naval gun could provide sustained, precise bombardment during initial assault phases or in contested littoral zones.
- Littoral and Anti‑Surface Firepower
While missiles dominate long‑range naval engagements, guns can still play a role in closer‑in surface warfare, particularly in congested littoral environments where the threat of collision or civilian presence complicates missile use. A 155 mm system with precision rounds could theoretically engage fast‑attack craft or smaller surface targets more economically than missiles.
- Cost‑Effective Defensive Capabilities
Studies by U.S. defense agencies have shown that 155 mm guns firing hypervelocity projectiles could potentially intercept slower incoming missiles at a fraction of the cost of dedicated missile interceptors. If China develops similar rounds compatible with its new naval gun, it could add an additional layer of defensive capability to PLAN surface ships in high‑threat environments.
- Platform sizing: Where will this gun be deployed? Existing PLAN destroyers and frigates are built around specific hull dimensions and combat systems optimized for missile engagements and traditional naval gun calibers. A 155 mm gun – especially one weighing more than 21 tons — presents integration challenges that could affect ship stability, internal volumes, and combat system interfaces.
- Ammunition types and logistics: Developing ammunition that fully exploits the potential of the new gun — such as guided rounds or hypervelocity shells — requires not only technical innovation but also logistics solutions that ensure safe storage and handling at sea. The PLAN’s current ammunition infrastructure is not yet known to include such capabilities.
- Strategic relevance: Modern naval combat is overwhelmingly missile‑dominated, with engagements often decided at hundreds of kilometers rather than tens. Whether a gun with extended reach — even hypothetically approaching 100 km with advanced ammunition — can meaningfully influence outcomes in high‑threat scenarios dominated by anti‑ship missiles, electronic warfare, and air threats remains debated among analysts.
The resurgence of interest in large naval guns is not unique to China. The U.S. Navy’s Zumwalt‑class destroyers were originally built around dual 155 mm Advanced Gun Systems (AGS) intended to provide deep‑strike fire support. However, technical problems and prohibitively high ammunition costs left the Zumwalt’s signature weapons without suitable ammunition programs, leading the Navy to remove the guns and repurpose their space for vertical launch cells carrying hypersonic missiles.
The Zumwalt example underscores the tension between naval doctrine and technology: naval guns offer cost advantages and high rates of fire, but must justify their presence in a domain increasingly shaped by missiles and standoff engagement. China’s investment in a traditional gun may be seen as hedging against technological uncertainty — including setbacks in other advanced weapon programs such as naval railguns, which China has tested experimentally but not yet fielded operationally.
The development of a 155 mm naval gun fits within a broader narrative of rapid modernization in the People’s Liberation Army Navy. Over the past decade the PLAN has transitioned from a primarily coastal defense force into a blue‑water navy with aircraft carriers, advanced destroyers, and a growing submarine fleet. Recent innovations such as electromagnetic aircraft launch systems on the carriers Type 003 and Fujian reflect an embrace of cutting‑edge technologies and capabilities.
Concurrently, China has also invested in directed energy systems such as the LY‑1 high‑power naval laser unveiled last year, designed to counter drones and incoming missiles — indicating an interest in layered defensive systems that integrate kinetic and non‑kinetic weapons.
The potential return of large naval guns — even as part of a diversified arsenal — suggests that Beijing sees utility in multiple means of projecting force, particularly in operations close to shore where missiles may be less efficient or more politically fraught.
Regional navies and analysts are closely watching these developments. Navies such as Japan’s have tested advanced gun systems including experimental railguns, and the broader Indo‑Pacific balance continues to evolve as countries expand missile forces, aircraft carriers, and associated surface combatants. Should China field a viable 155 mm naval gun with modern ammunition, it may prompt recalibrations in allied and partner doctrines regarding littoral fire support and how naval firepower is apportioned between missiles, guns, and other systems.
For now, the newly outfitted gun on a test ship remains a work in progress, without official confirmation of capability, scheduled trials, or deployment plans. What is clear, however, is that China has elevated the scale of its investigation into naval artillery at a time when many major navies are wrestling with the role of guns in an age of missiles and unmanned systems.
Whether this 155 mm system becomes a staple of future PLAN surface combatants — or remains an experimental footnote — will depend on how it performs in trials, how usable its ammunition proves in realistic scenarios, and how well it integrates into China’s broader power projection strategy.
