| PLZ-07 Self-Propelled Howitzer | |
| Origin: | China |
| Type: | Self-propelled artillery |
| Is Vehicle: | yes |
| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Is Artillery: | yes |
| Length: | 6.6 m |
| Width: | 3.28 m |
| Height: | 2.5 m |
| Weight: | 24.5 tons |
| Caliber: | 122 mm |
| Max Range: | Standard: 18 km Base bleed: 22 km Rocket assisted: 27 km |
| Traverse: | 360° |
| Suspension: | torsion bar |
| Speed: | 65 km/h |
| Vehicle Range: | 500 km |
| Primary Armament: | 122 mm howitzer |
| Secondary Armament: | 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun |
| Engine: | diesel |
| Crew: | 5 |
| Engine Power: | 600 hp |
The PLZ-07 or Type 07 is a Chinese 122 mm self-propelled artillery made by the China North Industries Group Corporation (NORINCO). The PLZ-07 self-propelled howitzer was first unveiled to the public during the military parade celebrating 60th anniversary of the PLA on 1 October 2009. The PLZ-07 was developed to replace the older Type 89, Type 85 and Type 70/70-1 122 mm self-propelled artillery systems.[1]
thumb|PLZ-07 seen at Beijing Military Parade in 2009PLZ-07 largely retained the design language of PLZ-89, the previous self-propelled howitzer developed by Norinco. The new chassis for PLZ-07 self-propelled artillery is developed from ZBD-04 infantry fighting vehicles, featuring improved armor protection, fire suppression system, and NBC protection. The vehicle is 6.66 m long, 3.28 m wide and 2.5 m high to the turret roof. It carries a crew of five and its 440 kW (600 hp) diesel engine gives it a top road speed of 65 km/h and a maximum road range of 500 km.[2]
The PLZ07 122 mm tracked self-propelled gun mounts a PL-96 122 mm/L32 howitzer. The design of the PL-96 could be based on Soviet D30 howitzer. The vehicle weighs 22.5 tons fully loaded and carries 40 rounds of ammunition. The gun has a maximum range of 18 km with normal ammunition, 22 km with base bleed and 27 km with rocket-assisted rounds. The gun has an elevation from 0° to +70° and a maximum rate of fire of 6–8 rounds per minute. In addition to the 122 mm howitzer, the QJC-88 heavy machine gun is mounted on the turret roof, and there are two triple banks of 76 mm smoke grenade dischargers on either side of the turret.[3]
The PLZ-07 is land based while the PLZ-07B is the amphibious variant that shares a common design with modification derived from the ZBD-05.[4]