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Liu Zhen

Alcott Wei

In an era of naval warfare defined by air superiority, precision missiles and autonomous drones, China’s navy appears to be bringing back the “big guns”.
A new naval gun system is said to be in development which takes 155mm, or 6.1-inch, artillery shells.
That would make it the largest of its kind in the world today.
The naval gun has recently been spotted undergoing sea-based performance testing from an experimental warship, which suggests it is moving closer to being deployed by the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
Its experimental ship, the Wu Yunduo, was seen heading towards waters near Dalian, in northeast China, in early May and returned about two weeks later, according to reports on Chinese social media.
Sea trials of a main gun usually involve live-fire testing to evaluate stability of the platform, fire control accuracy and continuous firing reliability under different conditions.
The 6,000-tonne experimental vessel was photographed in a shipyard with the huge gun installed on its bow in February, with images of the vessel and naval gun posted online. The location was identified as the Liaonan Shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning province.

A prototype of the gun was first sighted last year being transported by road. According to its nameplate, the 155mm system was built by a manufacturing plant run by state-owned China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco). It weighs nearly 21.8 tonnes, is capable of firing guided munitions, and production was completed in March 2025.
Military observers have noted that the gun’s turret has a stealth design aimed at minimising radar detection.
Once it is commissioned, it will also have a bigger calibre than any other naval main gun in service worldwide. 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.
Naval firepower
Since the rise of aircraft carriers, large-calibre naval guns have generally been considered obsolete.
For offensive operations, missiles and carrier-based aircraft provide over-the-horizon strike capabilities with vastly superior range and precision. That has meant main guns are used mainly for shore bombardment.
“The primary function of naval guns now is to provide fire support for land attacks and they serve as weapons in small-scale naval conflicts,” said Fu Qianshao, a military analyst and former PLA Air Force member.
On the defensive front, the main threats to modern warships now come from anti-ship missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vessels.
Small-calibre, rapid-fire systems – like close-in weapon systems – have become the fleet standard for air and missile defence, whereas traditional large-calibre guns are too slow and cumbersome against fast-moving modern threats.
But the PLA needs naval firepower support for amphibious operations – specifically a landing campaign if it were to launch an attack on Taiwan.
That would involve a bombardment of the island’s coastal defences and infrastructure to cover advancing troops.




Compared to missiles or long-range land-based rockets fired from across the Taiwan Strait, ship-mounted guns offer a far more cost-effective, high-volume and flexible solution.
“The fire coverage capability of naval guns is almost equivalent to that of a land-based artillery battalion, enabling powerful strikes and suppression,” Fu said.
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-ruled island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
At present, the Chinese navy’s most powerful main gun is the 130mm H/PJ-45, which has a range of about 30km (19 miles). It is fitted on the latest Type 055 and Type 052D destroyers.
Earlier destroyers are equipped with the 100mm H/PJ-87 main gun, while the PLA’s frigates and amphibious assault ships use 76mm H/PJ-26 guns.
Yue Gang, a retired PLA colonel and military commentator, said the new 155mm naval gun offered significantly greater range and firepower coverage compared to China’s current 130mm naval guns.
He said extended-range ammunition could increase the range of the 155mm naval gun to 100km-200km, which would “avoid exposing ships to shore-based anti-ship fire”.
But at that distance, operators of the naval guns would have to rely on other platforms like drones for damage assessment and firepower adjustment.
More cost-effective
A key benefit of having naval artillery mounted on warships is its cost-effectiveness compared to missiles.
While modern navies rely on expensive, vertically launched missiles for precision strikes, a 155mm gun can deliver sustained, high-volume firepower at a fraction of the cost.
“For low-value targets – such as beachheads and lightly armoured targets – naval guns are far more suitable than missiles,” Yue said. “Naval guns have a faster rate of fire and lower costs for suppressing enemy fire.”




He added that the Chinese 155mm naval gun was expected to be compatible with the PLA Ground Force’s artillery of the same calibre. That would further reduce costs by eliminating redundant R&D and supply chain investments.
This interoperability not only streamlines PLA logistics but also allows the navy to leverage the army’s existing arsenal of advanced 155mm munitions. They include high-explosive shells, cluster munitions, guided shells and extended-range glide projectiles, and even rocket-boosted rounds.
In contrast, the US Navy gave up the 155mm main guns on its Zumwalt-class destroyers, largely because of the high cost of the custom long-range land attack projectiles it used – they reached up to US$800,000 per round.
It is not clear which vessel the PLA’s new 155mm gun is intended for.
However, the navy’s amphibious landing ships have been identified as a possibility. The Type 071 amphibious transport dock ships are equipped with 76mm H/PJ-26 main guns that are mainly intended for air defence and lack sufficient firepower for a 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.
China is also working on electromagnetic rail guns – a prototype was seen mounted on a test ship back in 2018 – and laser weapons like the LY-1, which was unveiled during a military parade in September. The high-energy laser weapon is mainly used for air defence and has been fitted to the Type 071.
But compared to these next-generation weapons, conventional artillery is a mature technology that can be rapidly fielded and easily scaled up.
“Modifying the main guns and shells is not technically difficult or costly,” Yue said.


Multiple roles
The new 155mm naval gun could also have other roles in future PLA Navy missions, according to military experts.
Fu believed that it could be used to intercept drone swarms to some extent through barrage attacks.
“Rapid-fire naval guns may be more suitable for dealing with USVs,” he said, referring to the unmanned surface vessels that are used in large numbers to carry out swarm attacks.
When equipped with specialised projectiles, the naval gun could also effectively serve as a defensive layer against aerial threats, including drones and incoming subsonic cruise missiles.
“These new naval guns can also perform some air defence functions,” Yue said.
He said other applications could include its use to drive away non-combatant vessels with warning shots or it could serve as a cost-effective alternative to missiles in low-intensity ship interception.
The new naval gun could also be used in anti-piracy operations and to manage non-compliant vessels in law enforcement situations such as in the disputed South China Sea, according to Yue.


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A new 155mm naval gun is said to be in development and it could provide firepower support for a future attack on Taiwan


A new 155mm naval gun is said to be in development and it could provide firepower support for a future attack on Taiwan.


China’s navy has missiles and drones. Why is it bringing back the ‘big guns’?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}A new 155mm naval gun is said to be in development and it could provide firepower support for a future attack on Taiwan

A new 155mm naval gun is said to be in development and it could provide firepower support for a future attack on Taiwan