Why Saudi Arabia Chose Pakistan to Build Its Next-Generation Artillery System Plus Pro

On 21 January 2026, Pakistan’s Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) released a tender for the procurement of long-lead forgings for “Project P251” – i.e., a 155 mm/52-calibre Truck Mounted Artillery Gun System (TMAGS).

HIT is developing P251/TMAGS as an original wheeled self-propelled howitzer (SPH) for Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), which – as per the 2022-2024 Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) Yearbook – selected HIT as the “prime contractor” for the SPH in 2022.

P251 is a continuation of an earlier project dating back to at least 2021, when HIT publicly announced it was working on an indigenous 155 mm artillery gun. However, it did not disclose the configuration, but the new MoDP report outlined that its tests were successful, thereby leading to a contract with SAMI to develop a full-fledged SPH.

This new tender calls for Long Lead High Value (LLHV) items, mostly high-quality alloys, for use in various parts of a new artillery gun system that HIT is developing in Pakistan, specifically the following grades:

• 40NiCrMoV15
• 35NiCrMoV12-5
• 35NiCrMoV12-5Mod
• 35NiCrMoV15Mod

The interesting aspect of these alloys is that they are all of high-quality European grades, with 35NiCrMoV15Mod in particular being positioned as an alloy for use in the next-generation 155 mm howitzer guns.

Thus, one can infer from the tender that SAMI had asked HIT to design and develop the gun system according to NATO – or at least near-NATO – standards, likely in line with the requirements of the Saudi military.

Currently, HIT requires seven items for use in the recoil system, three inputs for the breech components, and two items for the carriage. In effect, the tender covers all the components except the barrel, which Pakistan can manufacture indigenously.