Type 66 howitzer

The Type 66 is a 152 mm towed howitzer used by the People's Liberation Army of China. The gun system is developed from the Soviet D-20 towed artillery. In addition to conventional shells the gun is capable of firing Type MP-152 rocket-assisted projectiles.^[2] In some cases a gun-shield is fitted but this is not universal.^[2]

Type 66
Type	Gun-howitzer
Place of origin	China
Service history
In service	Sino-Vietnamese War Sino-Vietnamese conflicts (1979–1991) Sri Lankan Civil War Gulf War
Used by	See operators
Production history
Manufacturer	Norinco
Specifications
Mass	5,720 kg (12,610 lb)
Length	8.69 m (28.5 ft)
Width	2.42 m (7 ft 11 in)
Height	2.52 m (8 ft 3 in)
Crew	12
Caliber	152.4 mm (6.00 in)
Action	Vertical sliding block
Carriage	Split trail
Elevation	+45°/-5°
Traverse	58°
Rate of fire	8 rpm
Maximum firing range	17,230 m (18,840 yd)
Sights	Panoramic, telescopic
References	[1]

Design

The Type 66 152 mm (6.0 in) gun-howitzer is a Chinese copy of the Soviet D-20 gun-howitzer built by Norinco, with a few minor differences in appearance.^[1] It has a distinctive thick, stocky barrel with a large muzzle brake.^[3]

The Type 66 is usually towed by a 6×6 truck at speeds at up to 60 km/h (37 mph). The split trail carriage features a Type 58 panoramic sight with a ×3.7 magnification power and a 10° field of view, a Type 58 collimator, and a Type 66 telescopic sight with a magnification power of ×5.5 and an 11° field of view. The carriage also have a castor wheel mounted on each trail to help the crew deploy the gun. When in firing position, these castor wheels rest on top of each trail, while a circular firing jack and two spades (one on each trail leg) provide support for the gun.^[4]

The Type 66 can fire High-explosive (HE), Smoke, and Illuminating shells using a variable six-charge bag propellant system. It can also fire the Type MP-152 rocket-assisted projectile (RAP) shell to provide extended range. The Chinese claim that the RAP round accuracy is the same of conventional projectiles.^[5] It can also fire precision-guided munitions, though their availability is limited.^[6]

While the Type 66 is somewhat obsolete compared to modern artillery, it is a simple and robust system capable of operating under severe conditions with minimal maintenance support, and when "employed competently and in mass, it can still deliver decisive firepower", according to the United States Army sources.^[7]

Versions

• Type 83 SPH − Tracked self-propelled gun-howitzer based on the Type 66.^[8] According to US Army sources, it's a Type 66 mated to a generic Soviet armoured fighting vehicle chassis.^[6]

Operators

Current

•  China − 500 in service with the PLA as of 2024^[update][9]
• Sri Lanka − 46 in service as of 2024^[update][9]

Former

•  Albania − 18 in service in 2011^[10]
•  Bolivia − 18 delivered in 1992^[11]
• Iraq − Used during the Gulf War^[2]
• Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam − 9^[12]

Gallery

• 
  In Sri Lanka military service.
• 
  A Type 66 at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum.