China's PCL-181 howitzers join PLA exercises amid LAC tension: Chinese media

Amid border tensions with India, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army recently received delivery of a batch of new weapons including its advanced vehicle-mounted howitzer, the PCL-181, when its troops were conducting exercises in northwestern China, a Chinese government mouthpiece said on Thursday.

According to Global Times, a brigade under the PLA 75th Group Army recently held a commissioning ceremony for a series of new weapons and equipment during field exercises in northwestern China's desert areas, Nanjiang Haojiao, or Horn of the Southern Border.

The ceremony likely took place before the positive border talks between China and India on June 6, the English daily said in its report.

This type of 155-millimetre calibre wheeled howitzer made its public debut as a newly developed weapon at the National Day military parade in Beijing on October 1, 2019, the report said. 

The Chinese daily said artillery weapons like howitzers are useful in mountainous areas because projectiles fired from them follow a parabolic path, which can bypass mountains on terrains which would block linear shots from traditional tanks.

During the Doklam standoff, PCL-181s were dispatched to the PLA Western Theater Command.

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a bitter face-off in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for over a month. 

Earlier on June 6, the Indian delegation led by Lt General Harinder Singh, the general officer commanding of Leh-based 14 Corps, and Commander of the Tibet Military District Maj Gen Liu Lin held the extensive meeting in Maldo on the Chinese side of the LAC in eastern Ladakh that lasted for hours. 

Sources on Tuesday had said that more meetings will take place in the coming days at divisional and brigade commander level to resolve the LAC standoff.

The result of the June 6 talks was seen after Chinese troops moved back by about 2.5 kilometres along the LAC, government sources in New Delhi said on Tuesday. 

Troops of the two countries have disengaged on the ground at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh. According to sources, troops and vehicles moved back by about 2.5 Kms by Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Galwan Area, Patrolling Point 15 and Hot Springs area. 

Meanwhile, ANI reported that the Chinese Army has deployed its troops all along the over 3,4,88 kilometre-long Line of Actual Control after which India has also rushed its fighting formations to forward locations in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.