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Liu Zhen

Beijing appears to be testing its 155mm (6.1-inch) naval gun to boost the PLA Navy’s land-attack firepower.
The weapon would be the biggest in the People’s Liberation Army’s naval arsenal and could be useful in an amphibious operation against Taiwan.
Photos of the massive weapon mounted on the bow of a test vessel have recently emerged on Chinese social media. The location was identified as the Liaonan shipyard in Dalian, in China’s northeastern Liaoning province.
The estimated barrel length and turret shape both match previous photos of the 155mm naval gun under development by China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco), as seen being transported by road early last year.

Its appearance on a test ship indicates the project is moving towards undergoing at-sea trials.
The gun – reportedly weighing nearly 21.8 tonnes and capable of firing guided munitions – represents a significant upgrade in main gun calibre for the PLA Navy (PLAN). Once operational, it will be the largest calibre main gun of modern navies.
The US Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers were originally fitted with a pair of 155mm guns but they are being replaced with vertical launch systems for missiles, largely because of the high cost of the custom Long-Range Land Attack Projectiles (LRLAP), which were US$800,000 per round.
Meanwhile, the planned Trump-class battleship has been designed with 5-inch (127mm) conventional main guns in addition to an electromagnetic rail gun, laser weapons and missiles.
In China, the main guns on PLA warships are the 130mm H/PJ-45 on the latest Type 055 and Type 052D destroyers, the 100mm H/PJ-87 used on earlier destroyers and the 76mm H/PJ-26 on frigates and amphibious assault ships.
It is not clear which vessel the new gun is intended for. However, speculation is focused on amphibious landing ships.
For the PLA, naval fire support for amphibious operations is especially critical. In a potential cross-strait landing campaign in Taiwan, ship-mounted main guns could provide timely and cost-effective saturation land attack capabilities compared to missiles or land-based rockets.




The PLA Navy’s Type 071 amphibious transport dock ships are equipped with 76mm H/PJ-26 main guns that are primarily intended for air defence and lack sufficient firepower for coastal bombardment.
The larger Type 075 and Type 076 amphibious assault ships, which are designed to serve as landing helicopter docks and drone carriers, are armed only with close-in weapon systems.
Beijing is also working on electromagnetic rail guns and laser weapons. A prototype rail gun was seen on a test ship as early as 2018. The high-powered LY-1 laser weapon, displayed during China’s military parade in September, has started to be fitted to Type 071 vessels.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.


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The weapon – reportedly capable of firing guided munitions – represents a significant upgrade for PLA Navy


The weapon – reportedly capable of firing guided munitions – represents a significant upgrade for PLA Navy.


China’s 155mm naval gun seen on test vessel, signalling boost to amphibious landing power

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The weapon – reportedly capable of firing guided munitions – represents a significant upgrade for PLA Navy

The weapon – reportedly capable of firing guided munitions – represents a significant upgrade for PLA Navy