Artillery

AH-2 155 mm howitzer

Also known as
  • 155mm AH2
  • 155 mm AH2
  • AH2
  • AH-2
  • Norinco AH2
  • Norinco AH-2
  • AH2 155 mm howitzer
  • AH-2 155 mm towed howitzer

The AH-2 is Norinco's longer-barrel 155 mm / 52-caliber export development of the AH-1/PLL01 towed howitzer family, combining NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition with an auxiliary power unit and longer-range ordnance. Public references identify Algeria and Ethiopia as users, and the clearest conflict-specific claim found for this entry is a secondary report that Ethiopian forces used AH2 towed guns during the 2020-2022 Tigray War.

AH-2 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm / 52-caliber towed gun-howitzer, Artillery
Image source: /images/catalog-image-placeholder.svg

Role in Conflicts

2020 Tigray War
Fire Support

21st Century Asian Arms Race reported that Ethiopia's army used towed Norinco AH2 guns during the 2020-2022 Tigray War; VPK.name carried the same claim while comparing the later SH-15 purchase with D-20 and 2S19 Msta-S artillery.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
China
Built by
Norinco
Type
155 mm / 52-caliber towed gun-howitzer
Service note
2010s development and export marketing; reported in service by 2019-2020
Designer
Norinco
Designed
2010s
Unit cost
Not publicly established
Produced
Late 2010s-present according to WeaponSystems.net
Number built
WeaponSystems.net reports at least dozens produced; GlobalSecurity and Military Balance-derived listings identify AH2 holdings in Ethiopian service without a public quantity.

Specifications

Caliber
155 mm
Ordnance
52-caliber howitzer; 8.05 m barrel length listed by WeaponSystems.net
Ammunition
155 mm NATO ammunition, 23-liter chamber
Crew
9
Weight
14 tonnes in travelling configuration
Travelling dimensions
10.65 m long with barrel stowed over trails, 2.75 m wide, and 2.30 m high
Firing-position footprint
12.55 m long and 9.93 m wide
Range
Up to 53 km with rocket-assisted shells, 41 km with base-bleed shells, and 32 km with hollow-base shells according to WeaponSystems.net
Rate of fire
4 to 5 rounds per minute maximum; about 2 rounds per minute normal
Mobility
Towed by a 6x6 10-ton truck; auxiliary power unit allows about 20 km/h autonomous movement on level terrain
Carriage
Four-wheel split-trail carriage without gun shield
Sights
Panoramic and telescopic sights
Family And Evidence Context

The AH-2 is best read as the 52-caliber branch of Norinco's towed 155 mm export family rather than as a clean-sheet system. Its public record is strongest for design lineage, specifications, and listed Algerian and Ethiopian service; the Tigray War row rests on specific secondary reporting rather than a detailed fire-mission account.

Designation lane

AH1, AH2, and AH4 appear together in Norinco's marketed towed 155 mm artillery family with 45-, 52-, and 39-caliber ordnance respectively.

Sources: People's Liberation Army Ground Forces Modernisation; China North Industries Corporation Working Paper.

Known users

WeaponSystems.net names Algeria and Ethiopia as notable users; GlobalSecurity and Military Balance-derived tables also list Ethiopian AH2 155 mm holdings.

Sources: 155mm AH2; Ethiopia Army Equipment; Future Artillery Systems.

Conflict-use limit

The Tigray War entry is based on reporting that says Ethiopian forces used AH2 guns during the war, not on a separate official Ethiopian artillery-unit disclosure.

Sources: Ethiopia Acquired The Newest Chinese Artillery; Ethiopia buys SH-15 wheeled howitzers.

Variants

Open references place AH-2 inside Norinco's 155 mm export artillery line: AH-1/PLL01 uses 45-caliber ordnance, AH-2 extends the towed line to 52 calibers, AH-4 is the lightweight 39-caliber branch, and PCL181/SH-15 uses the same 52-caliber ordnance concept on a truck-mounted platform.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
AH-1 155 mm Howitzer, 155 mm towed gun-howitzer, ArtilleryAH-1 155 mm HowitzerEarlier 45-caliber family member

WeaponSystems.net describes AH-2 as a further development of PLL01/AH-1 with longer 52-caliber ordnance, while the AH-1 catalog entry covers the earlier 45-caliber export model.

Sources: 155mm AH2, 155mm PLL01

AH-4 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm lightweight towed howitzer, ArtilleryAH-4Lightweight 39-caliber branch

A 2012 CLAWS assessment lists Norinco marketing AH1 155 mm/45, AH2 155 mm/52, and AH4 155 mm/39 towed artillery systems; U.S. Army ODIN identifies AH-4 as a Chinese 155 mm lightweight towed howitzer intended mainly for export.

Sources: People's Liberation Army Ground Forces Modernisation, AH-4 Chinese 155mm Towed Howitzer - ODIN

PCL181 / SH-15Related truck-mounted 52-caliber system

WeaponSystems.net states that PCL181 uses the same ordnance as the AH2 towed howitzer; VPK.name reported Ethiopia later buying SH-15 wheeled howitzers after prior AH2 use.

Sources: 155mm AH2, Ethiopia buys SH-15 wheeled howitzers

Ammunition Fired

The AH-2 sits in the NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition lane rather than the older Soviet 152 mm artillery ecosystem.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
155 mm NATO ammunition, 155 mm NATO-standard artillery ammunition family for 39-, 45-, and 52-caliber howitzers, Munitions155 mm NATO ammunition155 mm artillery ammunition family

WeaponSystems.net lists AH2 ammunition as 155 mm NATO with a 23-liter chamber, matching the cataloged 155 mm NATO ammunition family.

Sources: 155mm AH2

Timeline

AH-2 155 mm howitzer Key Events

  1. Norinco 155 mm export line described

    A CLAWS assessment of PLA ground-force modernization listed Norinco as marketing AH1 155 mm/45, AH2 155 mm/52, and AH4 155 mm/39 towed systems.

    Sources: People's Liberation Army Ground Forces Modernisation

  2. AH2 reported entering service

    WeaponSystems.net places AH2 service entry in 2019 or 2020 and production from the late 2010s onward.

    Sources: 155mm AH2

  3. Ethiopian AH2 holdings listed

    GlobalSecurity's Ethiopia equipment table and a Military Balance-derived future artillery systems slide list AH2 155 mm guns in Ethiopian towed-artillery holdings for the 2020 period.

    Sources: Ethiopia Army Equipment, Future Artillery Systems

  4. Tigray War use reported

    21st Century Asian Arms Race reported that Ethiopia's army used towed Norinco AH2 guns during the 2020-2022 Tigray War, and VPK.name repeated that claim in later SH-15 procurement coverage.

    Sources: Ethiopia Acquired The Newest Chinese Artillery, Ethiopia buys SH-15 wheeled howitzers

Media Notes

Open searches found AH-2 photographs and video stills on defense-reference and forum pages, including Algerian live-fire imagery and Ethiopian footage, but the reviewed copies did not provide clear reusable licensing. YouTube searches mostly returned AH4 or Thai CS/AH2 105 mm material rather than the AH-2 155 mm howitzer. This record uses the site placeholder and an empty video set until a public-domain, official reusable, or clearly licensed AH-2 image or directly relevant video can be credited.

Related Weapon Systems
2S19 Msta-S, 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryArtillery2S19 Msta-S152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzerThe 2S19 Msta-S is a Soviet-designed, Russian-produced 152 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer that combines a 2A64 gun, armored cross-country mobility, automated loading, and later digital fire-control upgrades. The 2S19M1 branch adds automated guidance and command-and-control integration, while official Rostec reporting describes the 2S19M2 / 2S33 Msta-SM2 branch with ASUNO-M fire control, electronic mapping, automatic laying recovery, and a 10-round-per-minute aimed firing rate. Its combat record spans Russian use in Chechnya and Ukraine, Ethiopia's wartime Msta fleet, and Ukrainian operation of captured Msta-S systems.
Panter 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm/52-caliber towed howitzer with auxiliary self-propulsion, ArtilleryArtilleryPanter 155 mm howitzer155 mm/52-caliber towed howitzer with auxiliary self-propulsionThe Panter is a Turkish 155 mm/52-caliber howitzer family developed by MKE for long-range NATO-standard artillery fire. The original towed system combines a split-trail carriage, assisted loading, and an auxiliary power unit for local movement, while the T-155 TTA / 8x8 program remounts the modernized Panter weapon system on a BMC wheeled tactical vehicle with ASELSAN fire control. Its public conflict record is narrow and disputed: open reporting ties the type to the July 2022 Zakho shelling attribution, while Turkey denied responsibility.
ZU-23-2, Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannon, Air DefenseAir DefenseZU-23-2Towed twin 23 mm anti-aircraft autocannonThe ZU-23-2 is a Soviet twin 23 mm towed anti-aircraft autocannon built around two 2A14 guns on a light carriage. Its manual sighting, rapid emplacement, and high volume of fire make it a close-range air-defense weapon against low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and drones, while many operators also use it for direct fire against light vehicles and infantry positions. Ukrainian forces have used ZU-23-2 guns in mobile and positional air-defense teams during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, Armenian-side losses in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting included towed and vehicle-mounted ZU-23 guns, and conflict monitors documented ZU-23 or ZU-23-2-pattern use in Yemen, Tigray, and northern Mali.

Sources

155mm AH2Publisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports AH2 identity, Chinese origin, Norinco developer and producer, production period, notable Algeria and Ethiopia users, AH1/PLL01/PCL181 family context, and technical specifications including ordnance, ammunition, crew, dimensions, range, rate of fire, carriage, and APU mobility. | Accessed: 2026-07-13155mm PLL01Publisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports AH2 relationship to the PLL01/AH1 family and the AH1 45-caliber baseline used to distinguish the AH2 as the longer 52-caliber development. | Accessed: 2026-07-13People's Liberation Army Ground Forces ModernisationPublisher: Centre for Land Warfare Studies | Note: Supports Norinco marketing context for AH1 155 mm/45, AH2 155 mm/52, and AH4 155 mm/39 towed artillery systems in a wider Chinese artillery modernization assessment. | Accessed: 2026-07-13AH-4 Chinese 155mm Towed Howitzer - ODINPublisher: U.S. Army ODIN | Note: Supports the linked AH-4 family-context row by identifying the AH-4 as a Chinese 155 mm lightweight towed howitzer intended mainly for export. | Accessed: 2026-07-13China North Industries Corporation Working PaperPublisher: International Peace Information Service and Omega Research Foundation | Note: Supports Norinco product-family context for 155 mm artillery systems including PLL-01, AH-1, AH-2, AH-4, PLZ-45, PLZ-52, and SH-1. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Ethiopia Army EquipmentPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports Ethiopian Army equipment context by listing PRC-sourced AH2 155 mm guns among Ethiopia's 2020 towed artillery holdings. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Future Artillery SystemsPublisher: Future Artillery Systems conference material | Note: Supports Military Balance-derived artillery holdings context by listing AH2 155 mm under Ethiopia's current artillery holdings. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Ethiopia Acquired The Newest Chinese ArtilleryPublisher: 21st Century Asian Arms Race | Note: Supports 2020 Tigray War direct use: the article says Ethiopia's army used towed Norinco AH2 guns during the 2020-2022 Tigray War and frames the later SH-15 purchase as a step beyond those AH2 guns. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Ethiopia buys SH-15 wheeled howitzersPublisher: VPK.name | Note: Supports 2020 Tigray War direct use: VPK.name, citing 21st Century Asian Arms Race, reported that Ethiopian forces used Norinco AH2 towed guns during the 2020-2022 Tigray War before later SH-15 procurement reporting. | Accessed: 2026-07-13