HONG KONG, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- China has signed a contract to provide Saudi Arabia with PLZ-45 155mm self-propelled howitzers for one battalion, according to an authoritative military industry source. One battalion normally would be armed with 27 such guns.

This represents a second successful sale of PLZ-45s to the Middle East, following an earlier sale to Kuwait. In 2000 China exported 54 of the self-propelled guns to Kuwait, sufficient to arm two battalions.

This latest batch of PLZ-45s is primarily to be used for testing purposes, according to the industry source. Once the Saudi military determines that the weapons meet its needs, it likely will import more of the howitzers.

However, the United States has voiced objections to the Saudis' procurement of Chinese-made howitzers, the source said.

Kuwait also faced immense pressure from the United States when it decided to import PLZ-45s from China. The publisher of a military journal in Kuwait told the author during a meeting in Abu Dhabi the reason Kuwait chose to purchase the PLZ-45s was the weapons compared well with similar systems available from the West, including the U.S.-made M109A3 howitzer. The guns performed satisfactorily in live-fire tests, he said, and China's price could not be beat.