While the U.S. military abandoned the SLRC ultra-long-range artillery project due to costs, the Northwest China Test Range echoed with thunderous cannon fire: a 33.5-meter ultra-long barrel pointed to the sky, leaving even 155mm howitzers in awe. This operation not only redefined long-range firepower standards but quietly rewrote the strategic script for the Taiwan Strait.
Ultra-Long Barrel and Extreme Range: The “Hardcore Logic” of the Super Cannon
- Barrel Length Evolution: From the satellite images in 2013 to today, the ultra-long barrel has grown from 11 meters to 33.5 meters, achieving a qualitative leap in firepower density and range.
- Low-Cost Strategic Suppression: Shells can cover 600–1000 km, precisely striking key enemy facilities such as airstrips, radar stations, and command centers, forcing the opponent to relocate frequently.
- Range Competition: A 300mm caliber artillery with glide-extended shells reaches 420 km. The U.S. SLRC project plans ramjet shells with a 1,600 km range but at a much higher cost. Compared with missiles, shells are several times more economical, creating a low-cost, high-efficiency deterrent.
Artillery + Drones: The Transparent Battlefield
The 155mm artillery-launched drone tested by the Shaanxi Institute of Applied Physics and Chemistry was a complete success, with all five launches hitting targets under 3000G overload. If integrated with ultra-long-range artillery:
- Real-Time Reconnaissance: Drones can be deployed 1,000 km away for forward surveillance.
- Electronic Jamming: Simultaneously provide jamming and intelligence services, realizing an “artillery + drone” integrated combat system.
- Transparent Battlefield: Enemy movements are exposed, greatly improving command efficiency.
Low-Cost Strategic Deterrence: U.S. Left Watching
- Dual Approach: Artillery suppression combined with precision hypersonic missile strikes forms a composite deterrent, rendering enemy missile defense almost “idle.”
- Industrial Advantage: The SH16 unmanned turret artillery is fully automated, priced at only one-third of Western counterparts. China’s artillery market is projected to reach CNY 45 billion by 2025, with huge export potential.
Battlefield and Global Impact
- Taiwan Strait New Variable: Key targets such as airstrips and missile launch sites can be controlled before the enemy has a chance to repair.
- Global Defense Competitiveness: China’s low-cost, high-efficiency artillery technology wins favor in the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia while driving industrial upgrades.
- Future Warfare: With drones, precision fire control, and hypersonic missiles, China’s super cannon may become a low-cost, long-range, multifunctional strategic strike tool, redefining traditional long-range fire support.
Key Takeaways
- 33.5-meter ultra-long barrel sets a new standard for China’s long-range artillery, reaching hundreds of kilometers.
- Low-cost suppression + high-value strike: Economical shells combined with hypersonic missiles create a composite deterrent.
- Artillery + drone collaboration: Long-range reconnaissance and electronic jamming create a transparent battlefield.
- Industrial edge: Fully automated turret artillery is cheaper and highly exportable, boosting military industry upgrades.
