FPI / July 21, 2022
Geostrategy-Direct.com
By Richard Fisher
China’s North Industries Corporation, or NORINCO, may be developing a 203mm mobile artillery system, that with new ramjet-powered shells, may have the potential to reach targets in Taiwan.
An image that appeared on Chinese web page on July 7 showed the outline of a large 5x5 wheeled transport vehicle with what appears to be a large 203 millimeter (MM) or 8-inch diameter barrel, with the transporter appearing to be a logical progression from recent Norinco 155mm wheeled artillery systems like the PCL 181 revealed in 2019.
While it likely has long had access to this system, China has not purchased the Russian 2S7.
But in recent years there has likely been a more urgent incentive for the PLA to develop a 203mm artillery system to be able to provide yet another level of fire support for an invasion of Taiwan, and to out-range Indian artillery systems on their increasingly contested border.
What would make a new Norinco 203mm artillery system a threat to Taiwan would be the possible successful development of a ramjet powered 203mm artillery shell.
Images emerged in 2017 that China had developed a 155mm ramjet powered artillery shell, but there is no reporting that the development was successful.
Full Text . . . . Current Edition . . . . Subscription Information
FPI, Free Press International
