PLL-09

The PLL-09 is a Chinese 122mm self-propelled howitzer mounted on the ZBL-09 (Type 09) 8x8 wheeled armored vehicle chassis. It provides mobile fire support for mechanized infantry units, capable of both direct and indirect fire.

Developed by Norinco in the late 2000s, the PLL-09 was designed to meet the People's Liberation Army's transition toward highly mobile, medium-weight combined arms brigades. The system officially entered service around 2009, offering a rapid-deployment alternative to heavier tracked artillery. While it has not seen active combat, the PLL-09 has been extensively deployed in high-altitude border regions and featured prominently in multinational exercises like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's Peace Mission maneuvers. Today, it remains a core component of China's rapid reaction forces, establishing a successful template for wheeled artillery that has influenced subsequent export designs.