The Ethiopian army has converted a number of Chinese WZ-551 armoured personnel carriers to self-propelled artillery, by mounting a D-30 122mm howitzer.
The innovative approach was first unveiled in August 2016, when top military officials visited the special innovation and technology projects that will increase the military’s firepower.
However, it is not certain if the Ethiopian military continued with this practice, as they have gone ahead to acquire capable self-propelled artillery and rocket launchers.
Last year, Ethiopia has purchased at least 32 Chinese-made SH-15 (PCL-181) self-propelled howitzers. The PCL-181 is a Chinese truck-mounted, 155 mm self-propelled howitzer used by the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force.
This artillery system is highly mobile and can self-deploy over long distances. It is light enough to be airlifted by most medium transport aircraft including C-295, C-130, and Y-9 or similar military transport aircraft, making it a more flexible option for a country’s rapid reaction units.
Unit price of the SH-15 is around $2.1 million judging from the Pakistani export order.
Furthermore, Ethiopia acquired extended-range Chinese-made half a dozen PHL-03 300 mm MRLS, A-200 guided rocket artillery (GRA) systems and M-20 short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) each. Such weapons have a range of between 150km (93 miles) and 300km (186 miles).
Ethiopian National Defense Force relies greatly on long-range projectiles to hold far away threats at risk.
The East African hegemon continues to strengthen it’s artillery and rocket holdings, as well as other strategic weapons in it’s inventory to better handle regional crises when the time comes.
Looking to greatly expand on its military offensive capabilities and give it a decisive edge over its long-time enemy of Eritrea, and to establish a deterrent to Sudan and Egypt, Ethiopia embarked on an ambitious re-equipment programme in the 2010s that sought to alter the military balance in the region in Ethiopia’s favour.
Considering the close military relationship between Ethiopia and China, it is little surprising that Ethiopia looked to China for the acquisition of such capabilities. In addition to being one of the few countries willing to supply such technology to Ethiopia, China also produces two systems that combine SRBMs and guided rockets into one modular system.