A self-propelled howitzer attached to an artillery detachment with a brigade under the PLA 81st Group Army fires at a mock target during a day-and-night live-fire training exercise at a training range on July 11, 2022. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Wu Chao, Liu Qiang and Liang Tianchi)

After a successful competitive bidding procedure, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army is expected to take delivery of a type of world-leading wheeled equipment, which focuses on combat support and is expected to be highly informationized and intelligent, analysts said on Sunday.

The wheeled equipment was independently developed by Harbin First Machinery Group Corp under the state-owned China North Industries Group Corp (NORINCO) and can meet the demand for support under realistic combat scenarios. The company won the competitive bidding on September 26 thanks to its advanced design concept and outstanding performance, said the company in a press release published on its WeChat account on Saturday.

The successful competitive bidding means that the PLA Army will get this world-leading wheeled equipment, the press release said.

To develop this equipment, the company conducted several surveys in basic level military units and analyzed their demand for support in multiple realistic combat scenarios. Three programs ran concurrently and the best one was selected, according to the press release.

After two rounds of prototype production, two rounds of testing by national level certification organizations, and several rounds of test demonstrations and trials by the military, the product was deemed as fully matching or surpassing tactical and technical requirements, with good versatility and simplicity in deployment and logistics management, the company said.

While the press release did not give details on the equipment, including its purpose and mission, it said the equipment can help reduce the intensity of the troops' physical labor.

Thanks to its wheeled nature, the new equipment is expected to be mobile and flexible, a Chinese defense analyst told the Global Times on Sunday, requesting anonymity.

As a general trend of equipment development, it should also have a high level of informatization and intelligentization, the expert said.

Harbin First Machinery Group Corp develops a wide selection of national defense products including self-propelled howitzers, self-propelled rocket launchers, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, amphibious pontoon bridges and other engineering vehicles, the company said on its website.