PCL-181 vs SPG-9: Specs Compared

AI-generated illustration · Not a photograph — Representative exterior of PCL-181

AArtillery

PCL-181

Self-propelled howitzer

AI-generated illustration · Not a photograph

Credit

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

BArtillery

SPG-9

Recoilless gun Anti-tank gun

Credit

Polanksy kolbe · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

PCL-181SH-15

6.5 m

Length source ↗

SPG-9Length

2.11 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

PCL-181larger figure on 1 of 1

Mass+52532%

SPG-9larger figure on 0 of 1

None

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

Measured figures

Head to head

16 of 59 rows sourced on both sides

6.5mSH-15

2.11m

Length

All recorded figures & sources

6.5 m

SH-15

Single source

6.5 m (21 ft 4 in) (SH-15)^[source]

2.11 m

Length

Single source

2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)^[source]

2.66mSH-15

990mmallowing full traverse

WidthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

2.66 m

SH-15

Single source

2.66 m (8 ft 9 in) (SH-15)^[source]

0.99 m

allowing full traverse

Single source

99 cm (3 ft 3 in) allowing full traverse^[source]

< 3.6m<

800mm

Height

All recorded figures & sources

< 3.6 m

Single source

<3.6 m (11 ft 10 in)^[source]

0.8 m

Height

Single source

80 cm (2 ft 7 in)^[source]

25t

47.5kg

Mass+52532%

All recorded figures & sources

25,000 kg

Mass

Single source

25 t (25 long tons; 28 short tons)^[source]

47.5 kg

Mass

Single source

59.5 kg

with tripod

Single source

47.5 kg (105 lb) 59.5 kg (131 lb) with tripod^[source]

21 gunner, 1 loader

Crew

All recorded figures & sources

6 people

Crew

Single source

6^[source]

2 people

1 gunner, 1 loader

Single source

2 (1 gunner, 1 loader)^[source]

90km/hMaximum; Maximum speed

—

Speed

All recorded figures & sources

90 km/h

Maximum; Maximum speed

Single source

90 km/h (56 mph)^[source]

53kmMaximum; rocket-assisted projectile

1.2–6.5kmMaximum; Maximum firing range

RangeScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

20 km

Effective; conventional projectile

Single source

53 km

Maximum; rocket-assisted projectile

Single source

20 km (12 mi) (conventional projectile)^[source]

53 km (33 mi) ( rocket-assisted projectile )^[source]

0.8 km

Effective; Effective firing range

Single source

1.2–6.5 km

Maximum; Maximum firing range

Single source

800 m (870 yd)^[source]

1,200–6,500 m (1,300–7,100 yd)^[source]

155mmCaliber

73mmsmoothbore

CalibreScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

155 mm

Caliber

Single source

155 mm (6.1 in)^[source]

73 mm

smoothbore

Single source

73 mm (2.9 in) smoothbore^[source]

4–6rounds/minSH-15

5–6rounds/min

Rate of fire

All recorded figures & sources

4–6 rounds/min

SH-15

Single source

4–6 rounds/min (SH-15)^[source]

5–6 rounds/min

Rate of fire

Single source

5–6 rounds per minute^[source]

—

250–435m/s

Muzzle velocity

All recorded figures & sources

250–435 m/s

Muzzle velocity

Single source

250–435 m/s (820–1,430 ft/s)^[source]

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

Configuration

Details

PCL-181 and SPG-9 configuration
Specification	PCL-181	SPG-9
Type	Self-propelled howitzer^[source]	Recoilless gun Anti-tank gun^[source]
Place of origin	China^[source]	Soviet Union^[source]
In service	2019–present^[source]	1962–present^[source]
Used by	See § Operators^[source]	—
Wars	2025 India–Pakistan conflict^[source]	Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Salvadoran Civil War Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Gulf War Lebanese Civil War Iraq War Second Sudanese Civil War Third Sudanese Civil War Libyan Civil Wars Northern Mali conflict Syrian Civil War War in Iraq (2013-2017) War in Donbas Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen 2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes Russo-Ukraine War Gaza war^[source]
Designer	Nanjing University of Science and Technology^[source]	—
Manufacturer	Norinco^[source]	—
Barrels	52 caliber^[source]	—
Breech	Semi-automatic vertical wedge type breech block^[source]	Interrupted screw^[source]
Elevation	Around 20° to 70° (except for front due to cab)^[source]	+7°/−3°^[source]
Traverse	360°^[source]	30° total^[source]
Main armament	PLL-01 155 mm howitzer gun^[source]	—
Engine	diesel^[source]	—
Drive	6×6^[source]	—
Suspension	hydropneumatic suspension^[source]	—
Barrel length	52 caliber^[source]PCL-181; main howitzer barrel	Длина ствола , мм 1850^[source]
Recoil	—	None^[source]
Carriage	—	Tripod^[source]
Feed system	—	Manually breech-loaded^[source]
Sights	—	PGO-9 optical 4× sight or PGN-9 IR and passive night sight^[source]
Reported operators	Reported operator · People's Republic of China Reported operator · Pakistan Reported operator · Ethiopia Reported operator · Myanmar	Reported operator · Afghanistan Reported operator · Bulgaria Reported operator · Central African Republic Reported operator · Cambodia Reported operator · Democratic Republic of the Congo Reported operator · Egypt Reported operator · Georgia Reported operator · East Germany Reported operator · Iran Reported operator · Iraq Reported operator · Kyrgyzstan Reported operator · Libya Reported operator · Mali Reported operator · Moldova Reported operator · Poland Reported operator · Romania Reported operator · Russia Reported operator · Rwanda Reported operator · Sudan Reported operator · South Sudan Reported operator · Ba'athist Syria Reported operator · Syria Reported operator · Ukraine Reported operator · Vietnam Reported operator · Turkmenistan

FORCETALLY

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PCL-181

SPG-9

Type

Self-propelled howitzer^[source]

Recoilless gun Anti-tank gun^[source]

Place of origin

China^[source]

Soviet Union^[source]

In service

2019–present^[source]

1962–present^[source]

Used by

See § Operators^[source]

—

Wars

2025 India–Pakistan conflict^[source]

Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Salvadoran Civil War Lord's Resistance Army insurgency Gulf War Lebanese Civil War Iraq War Second Sudanese Civil War Third Sudanese Civil War Libyan Civil Wars Northern Mali conflict Syrian Civil War War in Iraq (2013-2017) War in Donbas Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen 2022 Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan clashes Russo-Ukraine War Gaza war^[source]

Designer

Nanjing University of Science and Technology^[source]

—

Manufacturer

Norinco^[source]

—

Barrels

52 caliber^[source]

—

Breech

Semi-automatic vertical wedge type breech block^[source]

Interrupted screw^[source]

Elevation

Around 20° to 70° (except for front due to cab)^[source]

+7°/−3°^[source]

Traverse

360°^[source]

30° total^[source]

Main armament

PLL-01 155 mm howitzer gun^[source]

—

Engine

diesel^[source]

—

Drive

6×6^[source]

—

Suspension

hydropneumatic suspension^[source]

—

Barrel length

52 caliber^[source]PCL-181; main howitzer barrel

Длина ствола , мм 1850^[source]

Recoil

—

None^[source]

Carriage

—

Tripod^[source]

Feed system

—

Manually breech-loaded^[source]

Sights

—

PGO-9 optical 4× sight or PGN-9 IR and passive night sight^[source]

Reported operators

Reported operator · People's Republic of China
Reported operator · Pakistan
Reported operator · Ethiopia
Reported operator · Myanmar

Reported operator · Afghanistan
Reported operator · Bulgaria
Reported operator · Central African Republic
Reported operator · Cambodia
Reported operator · Democratic Republic of the Congo
Reported operator · Egypt
Reported operator · Georgia
Reported operator · East Germany
Reported operator · Iran
Reported operator · Iraq
Reported operator · Kyrgyzstan
Reported operator · Libya
Reported operator · Mali
Reported operator · Moldova
Reported operator · Poland
Reported operator · Romania
Reported operator · Russia
Reported operator · Rwanda
Reported operator · Sudan
Reported operator · South Sudan
Reported operator · Ba'athist Syria
Reported operator · Syria
Reported operator · Ukraine
Reported operator · Vietnam
Reported operator · Turkmenistan