Ask anything Thread

[Tomboy]

Why is the PLA operating 152mm, 122mm, and 155mm artillery? I figured they'd let the 122 and 152 fade but it looks like they're still building new vehicles that use the 122mm. It doesn't sound great for logistics.

122mm are the light artillery, you can't mount a 155 on a amphibious landing vehicle but you can with a 122mm.

 

[ComradeVortex]

Does anyone know just how much of the gear used in the Russo Ukraine war is Chinese? I know some use holosun sights and Chinese plate carriers and plates

I‘m pretty confident a laser AD system to counter drones has been used in Russia, there’s a photo of it somewhere. No actual footage of it being used though. No information about the numbers and usage.

 

[Wrought]

Why is the PLA operating 152mm, 122mm, and 155mm artillery? I figured they'd let the 122 and 152 fade but it looks like they're still building new vehicles that use the 122mm. It doesn't sound great for logistics.

122mm for artillery battalions. 155mm for artillery brigades. 152mm is obsolete and being phased out.

 

[tamsen_ikard]

122mm for artillery battalions. 155mm for artillery brigades. 152mm is obsolete and being phased out.

Why does PLA prefer the 122mm for artillery in battalion or lower level? Isn't a lower caliber mean it has lower range and also lower destructive power per shot? The whole advantage of tube artillery is long range indirect fire from the safety of the rear areas. Many western countries exclusively use 155 as the caliber for all artillery.

 

[Wrought]

Why does PLA prefer the 122mm for artillery in battalion or lower level? Isn't a lower caliber mean it has lower range and also lower destructive power per shot? The whole advantage of tube artillery is long range indirect fire from the safety of the rear areas. Many western countries exclusively use 155 as the caliber for all artillery.

Smaller guns are logistically lighter and can keep up with maneuver units. US for example still uses 105mm artillery (M119). A small gun on the battlefield is a lot better than a big gun back at base.

 

[Maikeru]

Not operating 152mm any more AFAIK. 122mm is at CAB level, 155mm generally at division or Group Army level.

 

[ComradeVortex]

Quick question, given that the N036 Byelka AESA has both X-band and L-band, wouldn’t it be possible for the Su-57 to detect other stealth aircraft, despite the lower accuracy, from great ranges?

 

[tamsen_ikard]

Quick question, given that the N036 Byelka AESA has both X-band and L-band, wouldn’t it be possible for the Su-57 to detect other stealth aircraft, despite the lower accuracy, from great ranges?

All radars can detect stealth aircraft. Just the range it will detect will vary.

 

[4Tran]

Why does PLA prefer the 122mm for artillery in battalion or lower level? Isn't a lower caliber mean it has lower range and also lower destructive power per shot? The whole advantage of tube artillery is long range indirect fire from the safety of the rear areas. Many western countries exclusively use 155 as the caliber for all artillery.

Most other militaries don't have significant amounts organic artillery at the battalion level. If you look at the US Army force structure, they have artillery assigned at the brigade level. The battalion only has a few 80mm mortars as artillery support. In contrast, the PLA heavy combined arms battalions have 9x 122mm guns on a tracked chassis and the medium combined arms battions have 9x 120mm gun-mortars on a wheeled chassis. It wouldn't be practical to have organic artillery like this with 152mm guns only as these require a much larger logistical footprint.