M198 howitzer vs PLZ-89: Specs Compared

M198 howitzer — licensed reference photograph

AArtillery

M198 howitzer

Towed howitzer

Credit

Staff Sgt. Vance · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

AI-generated illustration · Not a photograph — Representative exterior of PLZ-89

BArtillery

PLZ-89

Self-propelled howitzer

AI-generated illustration · Not a photograph

Credit

ForceTally · AI-generated illustration · Not a photograph · AI-generated · OpenAI output terms · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

M198 howitzerTravel

12.3 m

Length source ↗

PLZ-89Length

11 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

M198 howitzerlarger figure on 0 of 1

None

PLZ-89larger figure on 1 of 1

Mass+180%

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

13 of 43 rows sourced on both sides

12.3mTravel

11m

Length

All recorded figures & sources

11 m

Combat

Single source

12.3 m

Travel

Single source

Combat: 11 m (36 ft 2 in) Travel: 12.3 m (40 ft 6 in)^[source]

11 m

Length

Single source

11 m (36 ft)^[source]

2.8mTravel

3.4m

Width

All recorded figures & sources

2.8 m

Travel

Single source

Travel: 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)^[source]

3.4 m

Width

Single source

3.4 m (11 ft)^[source]

2.9mTravel

Height

All recorded figures & sources

2.9 m

Travel

Single source

Travel: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)^[source]

2 m

Height

Single source

2 m (6 ft 7 in)^[source]

7.2t

20t

Mass+180%

All recorded figures & sources

7,154 kg

Mass

Single source

7,154 kg (15,772 lb)^[source]

20,000 kg

Mass

Single source

20 t (20 long tons; 22 short tons)^[source]

9enlisted men

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

9 people

enlisted men

Single source

9 enlisted men^[source]

5 people

Crew

Single source

5^[source]

—

60km/hMaximum; Maximum speed

Speed

All recorded figures & sources

60 km/h

Maximum; Maximum speed

Single source

60 km/h (37 mph)^[source]

40kmMaximum; RAP and L/52 barrel

500kmOperational; Operational range

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

22.4 km

Maximum; Conventional

Single source

30 km

Maximum; RAP

Single source

40 km

Maximum; RAP and L/52 barrel

Single source

Conventional: 22.4km (14 mi), RAP : 30km (18.6 mi), RAP and L/52 barrel: 40km (25 mi)^[source]

21 km

Maximum; for ERFB-BB

Single source

18 km

Maximum; for standard high-explosive

Single source

500 km

Operational; Operational range

Single source

18 km (11 mi) for standard high-explosive 21 km (13 mi) for ERFB-BB^[source]

500 km (310 mi)^[source]

—

340kW12V150L12 liquid-cooled diesel

Power

All recorded figures & sources

340 kW

12V150L12 liquid-cooled diesel

Single source

12V150L12 liquid-cooled diesel 450 hp (340 kW)^[source]

6.09mL/39

L32

Barrel length

All recorded figures & sources

6.09 m

L/39

Single source

6.09 m (19.98 ft) L/39^[source]

L32^[source]PLZ-89 / Type 89 SPH; 122 mm main howitzer

155mmCaliber

122mm

Calibre

All recorded figures & sources

155 mm

Caliber

Single source

155 mm (6.1 inch)^[source]

122 mm

Calibre

Single source

122 mm (4.8 in)^[source]

4rpmMaximum

6–8rounds/min

Rate of fire

All recorded figures & sources

4 rounds/min

Maximum

Single source

2 rounds/min

Sustained

Single source

Maximum: 4 rpm Sustained: 2 rpm^[source]

6–8 rounds/min

Rate of fire

Single source

6–8 rounds/min^[source]

684m/s

—

Muzzle velocity

All recorded figures & sources

684 m/s

Muzzle velocity

Single source

684 m/s (2,240 ft/s)^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

M198 howitzer and PLZ-89 configuration
Specification	M198 howitzer	PLZ-89
Type	Towed howitzer^[source]	Self-propelled howitzer^[source]
Place of origin	United States^[source]	China^[source]
In service	1979–present^[source]	—
Used by	See Operators^[source]	See § Operators^[source]
Wars	Lebanese Civil War Gulf War Somali Civil War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Syrian Civil War 2025 Cambodia‒Thailand conflict 2026 Afghanistan-Pakistan war^[source]	—
Designed	1968–1977^[source]	—
Manufacturer	Rock Island Arsenal (US)^[source]	—
Unit cost	US$ 527,337^[source]	—
Produced	1978–1992^[source]	—
No. built	1,600+^[source]	—
Shell	Separate loading charge and projectile^[source]	—
Breech	Interrupted screw^[source]	—
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic^[source]	—
Carriage	Split trail^[source]	—
Elevation	−5° to +72°^[source]	—
Traverse	45°^[source]	360°^[source]
Main armament	—	122 mm howitzer^[source]
Secondary armament	—	12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun/2 sets of 4-barrel grenade launchers^[source]
Suspension	—	Torsion bar^[source]
Reported operators	Reported operator · Bahrain Reported operator · Ecuador Reported operator · El Salvador Reported operator · Honduras Reported operator · Iraq Reported operator · Kurdistan Reported operator · Lebanon Reported operator · Morocco Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Saudi Arabia Reported operator · Tunisia Reported operator · Thailand	—

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M198 howitzer

PLZ-89

Type

Towed howitzer^[source]

Self-propelled howitzer^[source]

Place of origin

United States^[source]

China^[source]

In service

1979–present^[source]

—

Used by

See Operators^[source]

See § Operators^[source]

Wars

Lebanese Civil War Gulf War Somali Civil War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Syrian Civil War 2025 Cambodia‒Thailand conflict 2026 Afghanistan-Pakistan war^[source]

—

Designed

1968–1977^[source]

—

Manufacturer

Rock Island Arsenal (US)^[source]

—

Unit cost

US$ 527,337^[source]

—

Produced

1978–1992^[source]

—

No. built

1,600+^[source]

—

Shell

Separate loading charge and projectile^[source]

—

Breech

Interrupted screw^[source]

—

Recoil

Hydro-pneumatic^[source]

—

Carriage

Split trail^[source]

—

Elevation

−5° to +72°^[source]

—

Traverse

45°^[source]

360°^[source]

Main armament

—

122 mm howitzer^[source]

Secondary armament

—

12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun/2 sets of 4-barrel grenade launchers^[source]

Suspension

—

Torsion bar^[source]

Reported operators

Reported operator · Bahrain
Reported operator · Ecuador
Reported operator · El Salvador
Reported operator · Honduras
Reported operator · Iraq
Reported operator · Kurdistan
Reported operator · Lebanon
Reported operator · Morocco
Reported operator · Pakistan
Reported operator · Saudi Arabia
Reported operator · Tunisia
Reported operator · Thailand

—