The PLZ05 is a tracked self-propelled howitzer system in active service with the People’s Liberation Army since the early 2000s. The design owes much to the 1980s-1990s PLZ45 SPH designed for export, which featured a NATO-compatible 155 mm L/45 howitzer with superior ballistics to legacy Soviet 152 mm models mounted on a new chassis. While the PLZ45 was an export success and more capable than the PLA’s own PLZ83, domestic adoption of the new technology awaited further improvements. Among many changes, the refined PLZ05 boasts a full autoloader system derived from the Soviet/Russian 2S19 Msta-S, a longer L/52 cannon, and a more powerful engine, reaching the standards of its modern post-Cold War peers such as the South Korean K9 Thunder.

Introduced in Update "Firebirds", the PLZ05 is a modern 155 mm SPH system comparable to the Norwegian/Korean VIDAR, Japanese Type 99, and German PzH 2000. Like the others, it has an autoloaded, high-velocity 155 mm howitzer on a lightly protected, high-profile chassis with substandard gun handling. Its HE shells have less explosive filler than most NATO 155 mm offerings, but the vehicle has many useful features to compensate. On offence, the vehicle has a laser rangefinder for accurate long-distance shooting, a high-penetrating SAP shell for easier sideshots, and an autoloader with all 30 shells within its ready rack for a consistent rate of fire. On defence, the turret features spall liners for damage control and the chassis has an adjustable suspension that drastically improves the PLZ05’s effective gun depression and ability to peek over inclines.