Vietnam modernizes old Soviet artillery with new PTH-130 Mk2 8x8 howitzer.

The M-46 gun, previously fitted to a KrAZ-255B 6x6 prototype first seen in 2021, is now mounted on a KamAZ-6560 8x8 vehicle platform, which has a longer wheelbase, a higher payload capacity (described as a 20-tonne class), and is widely used as a basis for specialist military vehicles and weapon systems. Like the PTH-152, the new variant of the PTH-130 received an armored driver and commander cab resistant to 7.62 mm rounds, large deck ammunition stowage, and rear hydraulic stabilizers that lift part of the rear axle grouping at emplacement to reduce recoil transfer into the frame. Those changes are presented by the Vietnamese engineers as measures intended to improve mobility, protection, and firing stability relative to the earlier KrAZ-based prototype.

The weapon retained on the PTH-130 Mk2 is the 130 mm M-46 field gun, a long-barrel design with a reported muzzle velocity around 930 m/s that fires separate-loading projectiles; conventional high-explosive fragmentation rounds have a practical unassisted range in the order of 27 to 27.5 km while extended range munitions such as ERFB base bleed or rocket-assisted projectiles extend reach toward about 37 to 38 km depending on charge and projectile type. Vietnam appears to produce its own line of 130 mm ammunition with characteristics comparable to Soviet 130 x 845 mm R rounds, and published technical notes list projectile masses near 33.4 kg with explosive fillers of approximately 3.64 kg for some HE variants, while ERFB-BB projectiles are cited at about 32 kg with muzzle velocities near 970 m/s for the longest ranges. The gun retains the set of legacy ammunition types such as HE, HE-Frag, AP, illumination, and smoke that are widely available for the M-46 family.

Current descriptions do not show an integrated digital fire control system or a fitted automatic loading mechanism on the PTH-130 Mk2, and the vehicle therefore appears to continue to rely on separate loading of projectile and charge with largely manual ammunition handling; in towed service the M-46 has historically achieved short-burst cyclic rates of roughly 6 to 8 rounds per minute and practical sustained rates will depend on how ammunition is stored and handled aboard the wheeled mount. The integration of a semi-automatic loading system and a modern fire control system would nevertheless improve accuracy, delivery times, and sustained rates of fire.

Previous specifications for the KrAZ-based prototype and subsequent reporting give a crew of around six personnel for the PTH-130 configuration with a total prototype weight cited near 23.3 tonnes, and published figures for the earlier model show transition from march to combat in under four minutes, elevation and traverse arcs similar to the towed M-46. The shift to an 8x8 chassis mostly aims to increase the PTH-130's mobility, payload capacity, and stress reduction when firing. Like the French Caesar, the hydraulic stabilizers and reinforced frame details visible in photographs are intended to manage recoil forces and support shoot-and-scoot employment in dispersed or forested terrain.

The PTH (for Pháo Tự Hành) family is mainly a long Vietnamese practice of mounting existing towed guns on truck chassis that dates from PTH-105 and PTH-85 experiments through to the 2021 PTH-130 prototype; development has involved organizations such as the Military Technical Academy, the Z751 engineering facility, and the General Department of Defense Industry, and the work has been presented alongside other domestic systems at national exhibitions. The move to KamAZ components mirrors the approach taken on the PTH-152 project, which was shown publicly as a KamAZ-6560-based 152 mm truck-mounted howitzer with an armored cab, rotating mount, hydraulic jacks, and a higher degree of electronic integration in its exhibition configuration.

At the same time, the procurement of South Korean K9 Thunder tracked howitzers indicates a dual modernization strategy that balances the reuse of Soviet-era artillery pieces with the acquisition of modern and proven 155 mm self-propelled guns. Initial inspections and preparations for firing trials of the PTH-130 Mk2 seem to have already taken place, and senior Vietnamese leaders have ordered acceleration of research and O-series production testing prior to mass production consideration, coordinated with the recent establishment of an Artillery-Missile Command to modernize artillery structure and procedures.

If firing trials and further integration work proceed positively, the PTH-130 Mk2 would be likely presented as a lower-cost, long-range mobile artillery option that leverages existing 130 mm stockpiles while complementing imported and indigenous 152 mm and 155 mm systems; a potential export interest exists among buyers with constrained budgets, even though Vietnam’s track record for military exports to date is modest. Finally, the PTH-130 Mk2’s potential will ultimately depend on decisions such as installing a modern fire control or partial automation, integration with counter-battery radars and UAV reconnaissance, and on whether the project moves from prototype and limited trials into an O-series production run and unit acceptance under the Vietnamese Ministry’s evaluation process.