Norinco's Battlefield Response: Counter-Drone Systems and NATO-Calibre Artillery at Eurosatory 2026

Additional gun-based and laser-based counter-drone systems were also featured, though not all were named individually in reporting . Norinco also displayed models of unmanned aerial vehicles, combat drones, and armoured vehicles as part of a "systematic, unmanned, and localized" portfolio .

Artillery Systems: NATO-Standard Calibre for Export Markets

Norinco’s artillery offerings at Eurosatory 2026 continued a trend first seen in 2024: the display of 155 mm howitzers built to NATO standard calibre, signalling an intent to compete for markets traditionally served by Western manufacturers.

• PLZ-52 (also known as PLZ-05A for export) — a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer with a 52-calibre barrel. It was previously shown at Eurosatory 2024 and remains part of Norinco's ongoing artillery export lineup. According to reports, the PLZ-52 has no confirmed export record to date, and lost a 2022 Egyptian competition for 200 howitzers to South Korea's K9 .
• SH-15 (export designation for the PCL-181) — a truck-mounted 155 mm self-propelled howitzer, also NATO-standard. It has been sold to Pakistan and Ethiopia, and has been widely exported to Middle Eastern and African markets .

Both artillery systems use NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition, a deliberate move by Norinco to offer European and other Western-aligned buyers a Chinese platform that can integrate with existing logistics and supply chains .

The Strategic Context: Why These Systems Were Front and Centre

The South China Morning Post reported that "demand for air defence solutions is skyrocketing, fuelled by the conflict in Ukraine and the US-Israeli war on Iran which have been largely defined by the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles" . This conflict-driven demand shaped Norinco's display in three clear ways:

• Battlefield proof-of-concept — The extensive use of cheap drones and missile barrages in Ukraine and against Iran demonstrated that traditional air defence is often insufficient against mass swarms and saturation attacks. Norinco's focus on directed-energy (Hurricane 3000), gun-based (SA2/LD76), and layered missile systems (GAS9 + GAS8) directly responds to these operational realities .
• Export opportunity — With many nations urgently recapitalising their air defence inventories after witnessing drone warfare's effectiveness, Norinco is positioning its NATO-calibre artillery and multi-tier air defence systems as cost-competitive alternatives to Western systems, especially for markets wary of Western political conditions .
• Directed-energy push — The Hurricane 3000 microwave weapon, which Norinco claims has a longer effective range than the US Army's equivalent Leonidas system (reportedly capped at about 2 km), addresses the specific challenge of drone swarms that can overwhelm conventional gun and missile systems — a problem that has become acute in both the Ukraine and Iran theatres .

The Broader Norinco Portfolio

Beyond the headline systems, Norinco's Eurosatory 2026 stand included additional air defence and artillery models: the company also displayed the Skydragon GA29 air defence system (seen at prior shows), alongside multiple rocket launcher systems such as the SR6, and wheeled self-propelled artillery vehicles . The