14 April 2023

PLA deploys PLZ-10 mortars with 71st Group Army

by Kapil Kajal

The PLA has deployed 120 mm PLZ-10 SPMs and some variants of the ZSD-89A family of tracked AFVs, pictured above, with the 35th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade of the PLA 71st Group Army of the ETC. (Norinco)

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed 120 mm PLZ-10 self-propelled mortars (SPMs) with the 35th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade of the PLA 71st Group Army of the Eastern Theater Command (ETC), which is in charge of dealing with conflicts around the Taiwan Strait.

A video clip of the equipment-deploying exercise released by state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) confirms at least 10 PLZ-10 SPMs are deployed in service with the PLA's 35th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade stationed at Xuzhou in Jiangsu province.

Apart from the PLZ-10, in the video clip, the PLA's 35th Heavy Combined-Arms Brigade is seen taking deliveries of some variants of the ZSD-89A family of tracked armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs).

Janes assesses the brigade is also equipped with surveillance or reconnaissance vehicles with mast-mounted sensors, ammunition resupply vehicles with cranes on the side, and command-and-control (C2) vehicles, in the exercise.

According to JanesLand Warfare Platforms: Armoured Fighting Vehicles, the PLZ-10 is designed to provide direct and indirect fire support to combined arms formations.

The primary armament of the PLZ-10 is a 120 mm rifled gun-mortar, with 36 rounds of ammunition held within the hull. The PLZ-10 has a range between 1.2 and 13.5 km, depending on the ammunition used.

The turret can traverse a continuous 360° in azimuth and the primary armament has an elevation range of -4° to +80°. The PLZ-10 can also be equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun mounted on the hull roof as a secondary armament.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed 120 mm PLZ-10 self-propelled mortars (SPMs) with the...

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