Will do what's needed in national interest: India after Pak deploys 250 Howitzers
India on Tuesday said it would do "whatever is necessary" to safeguard its national interests after reports that Pakistan had deployed around 250 Chinese-made SH-15
India on Tuesday said it would do "whatever is necessary" to safeguard its national interests after reports that Pakistan had deployed around 250 Chinese-made SH-15 self-propelled howitzers along sectors facing India. New Delhi also reiterated that its position on cross-border terrorism remained unchanged and stressed that its armed forces remained prepared to respond to any threat. He commented after India Today on Sunday reported that Islamabad had significantly strengthened its artillery capabilities by deploying Chinese-made SH-15 self-propelled howitzers along its eastern frontier facing India, marking one of Pakistan's biggest artillery reinforcements in recent years. Read Full Story Responding to questions during the Ministry of External Affairs' weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal referred to India's response during Operation Sindoor and said New Delhi would continue to act in its national interest.
"During Operation Sindoor, we saw how a befitting reply was given. From our side, our stance is that cross-border terrorism must stop, and we will do whatever is necessary in our national interest, for which we always remain vigilantly deployed," Jaiswal said. The deployment follows months of heightened tensions after Operation Sindoor, India's tri-services counterterrorism operation carried out in May 2025, which targeted terrorist infrastructure across the Line of Control and inside Pakistani territory using precision strikes. WHAT ARE THE SH-15 HOWITZERS? The SH-15 is the export version of China's PCL-181 wheeled self-propelled howitzer and is manufactured by Chinese state-owned defence giant NORINCO. Mounted on a 6x6 armoured Shaanxi truck chassis, the artillery system is designed for rapid deployment and quick repositioning on the battlefield.
It can travel at speeds of up to 90 kmph and operate across challenging terrain. The 155mm/52-calibre platform can fire standard NATO-compatible ammunition to ranges of 30 to 40 kilometres. With rocket-assisted V-LAP projectiles, its strike range reportedly extends to between 53 and 72 kilometres. The system is equipped with an automated fire-control system and hydraulic stabilising spades, allowing crews to deploy quickly, fire up to six rounds per minute and relocate before enemy counter-battery fire can respond. Defence sources say the induction of around 250 SH-15 systems is enough to equip several artillery regiments, significantly boosting Pakistan's long-range conventional strike capability. CHINA-PAKISTAN MILITARY TIES GROW The deployment also reflects the deepening defence partnership between Pakistan and China, which has expanded steadily over the past decade through arms transfers, joint military exercises and closer operational cooperation.
The BriefWire