Self-Propelled Artillery

Complete Guide
Autoloading and 52
are the Trend
The passing of the Crusader left many uncertainties in its wake. Many others, Defence equipment now in low rate pro-
duction in the USA. It has been forecast
away from the US Army, were waiting to see how that project would emerge
that future CTD enhancements will
and how it would impinge on their own future developments and require- include some features of the 155 mm 56-
ments. In the meantime, self-propelled artillery equipment from past design calibre ordnance and mounting originally
generations will have to be retained, with no immediate prospect of any far- intended for the Crusader. The ammuni-
reaching changes in the immediate offing, other than a general trend towards tion load is initially planned as 30 rounds
and 102 modular charges, with resupply
greater mobility and less weight. back-up provided by trucks equipped with
automated handling equipment. Extend-
Eric H. Biass and less bulk and weight compared with what ed range will be catered for by firing stan-
has appeared before. It is a virtual cer- dard enhanced range Nato projectiles,
Terry J. Gander tainty that any future self-propelled including the still developmental XM987
artillery system will be based on the Excalibur providing a range of over 40,000

T
he American self-propelled artillery
community was indeed plunged into
a state of uncertainty and semi-
uproar by the demise of the US Army's
planned XM2001/XM2002 Crusader
155 mm self-propelled artillery system
during 2001. The US Army banked heav-
ily on the Crusader as being the way
ahead and had planned much to follow its
introduction, but the Crusader was axed.
It simply got too heavy and complicated
for the type of operations for which the
US armed forces expect to be called upon
in the years ahead. The circumstances
and deployment factors inherent in the
recent campaign in Iraq merely empha-
sised the fact that the anticipated battle
scenarios of the Cold War period seem
increasingly unlikely to reoccur.The Cru-
sader therefore had to go – and it did.
An indication of some possible future
trends can be seen in one US programme
currently underway, although it will be
many years before US Army gunners get
their hands on any resultant practical
hardware. With the Crusader gone other
technological avenues are being
explored, the overall emphasis being on
155 mm calibre, most other existing cali-
bres, with the possible exception of the
former Warsaw Pact Bloc 152 mm for
legacy reasons, becoming outmoded.
As one possible indication of what the
future might bring, United Defense LP is
currently constructing what is termed a
Concept Technology Demonstrator
(CTD) to determine the exact form the
artillery component of the US Army's
Future Combat Systems (FCS) will take.
Although it is too early to make empiri-
cal statements, it appears that the CTD
will be more compact and self-contained
than the Crusader, and it will have to be
light and small enough to be air trans-
portable in a C-130 transport aircraft.
The design intention of the CTD will
have a crew of just two, driver and gun-
ner/commander, under armoured cover at
the front of the vehicle. This manpower
saving will be offset by a high degree of
on-platform automation, including
remotely controlled ammunition handling
and loading. The CTD will initially carry
an externally located 155 mm M777 39-
calibre ordnance, recoil and mounting, all
taken from the towed BAE Systems, RO
metres from a 39-calibre barrel. Some
form of in-flight trajectory correction sys-
tem will probably become involved.
«It is a virtual certainty
that any future self-
propelled artillery system
will be based on the
155 mm calibre…»
Mechanically, the CTD will feature a
newly designed chassis and hull, with
power provided by a diesel-electric drive
system. Stabilisation during firing, which
is intended to include rapid fire at vary-
ing angle of barrel elevation to provide
several simultaneous impacts on a target
area, will be assisted by two recoil spades
powered from the rear. The rate of burst
fire is set initially at up to six rounds per
minute, the in-service intention being ten
rounds per minute.
It has to be stressed that the CTD is a
technical concept venture. Many innova-

armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003 43

Complete Guide
The instant of firing for a Giat 155 mm Caesar. (Giat)
tions and modifications will inevitably be
introduced as testing continues, so the
end product may emerge as very differ-
ent from the brief outline provided here.
It seems unlikely that US gunners will get
their hands on fieldable CTD-based
hardware before the end of this decade,
at the earliest, with a high degree of
probability that it will be some years after
then.That is, if the CTD programme does
not undertake the same route as the
unfortunate Crusader.
In the meantime, the US Army will
have to remain content with the 155 mm
M109A6 Paladin for years to come.
will want as many artillery assets at his
disposable as can be provided.Therefore,
the self-propelled artillery accent is now
on light weight and portability, rather
than on the heavily armoured platforms
that populate many current gun parks.As
a result, something has to suffer for these
mobility assets. Crew and system protec-
tion almost inevitably has to be reduced,
but not totally ignored.
dismount to serve the gun-howitzer so
they become vulnerable once dismount-
ed, but on the other hand, this is amply
compensated by the extreme speed at
which the Caesar can be put into opera-
tion and then removed.The Caesar carries
18 ready-to-use rounds with another 72
rounds carried on a matching Unimog-
based 6
6 ammunition resupply vehicle.
The combat weight of the Caesar is about
17,700 kg, so it is relatively light and com-
pact, sufficient for air transport of the
complete ordnance and chassis in one
piece inside a C-130 type transport air-
craft. To do this, a hatch is opened in the
roof of the cab and the windscreen hinged
down over the bonnet, enabling the barrel
to be fully lowered. The Caesar’s mobility
is not to be noticed only for the high agili-
ty of its chassis and gun laying system but
also on its Fast-Hit command and posi-
tioning system. Very briefly, the Fast-Hit
can be compared with a graphic e-mail
device that enables a commander to per-
manently know the status and position of
all his guns and re-despatch them with

Wheels
Until recently, most artillery systems
depended on a relatively heavy tracked
chassis to provide the degree of battle-
field mobility demanded by full scale
warfare, as well as providing protection
for the system and its crew. Mobility and
protection remain high on the require-
ment list of any potential self-propelled
artillery customer, but other considera-
tions now intrude. What is going to be
needed more and more in the future is
the ability for artillery systems to become
more flexible in their applications, plus An image of things to come – an artist's impression of a 52-calibre G5 ordnance on a
they are expected to be more effective wheeled chassis – the Condor. (Denel)
once in action.
The increasing need to transport Clamped securely into the high mobil- new firing orders. The gun driver receives
artillery by air at short notice means that ity bracket comes the French Giat 155 mm the information on his display and, once
in most cases it is not possible to rapidly Caesar, with a 52-calibre barrel mounted on spot, positions the truck in the desired
deliver many current self-propelled sys- on a truck chassis. The latter is a Mer- position. The system subsequently per-
tems by air or sea, especially within limit- cedes-Benz Unimog 2450 6
6 with an forms all the final bearing and elevation
ed time scales and in the quantities that armoured cab for the driver and crew adjustments for each one of the firings.
will be needed. Yet any gunner officer when travelling. Part of the crew has to Malaysia, where the gun underwent

Table Key

No System nomenclature No Caesar No Mobat No LWSPH No G6 (above: 52)

Ma Manufacturer Ma Giat Ma RDM Ma STK Ma Denel
Ca Calibre of the system Ca 155 mm Ca 105 mm Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm
Cc Crew complement Cc 6 Cc 4 Cc 4 Cc 6
Lo Length of ordnance Lo 52 calibres Lo 33 calibres Lo 39 calibres Lo 45 or 52 calibres
Bl Length of barrel Bl 8.06 metres Bl 3.465 metres Bl 6.045 metres Bl 6.97 /8.06 metres
Wt Weight in action Wt 17,680 kg Wt ca 10,000 kg Wt 7000 kg Wt 47,000 kg
Me Max barrel elevation Me -3 to +66° Me -1 to +30° Me (est) 0 to +45° Me -5 to +75°
Mt Max barrel traverse Mt 34° Mt 90° Mt (est) 45° Mt 80°
Mr Max poss range Mr 39,000 metres Mr 19,200 metres Mr 30,000 metres Mr 39.3 or 53.6 km
Pw Projectile weight Pw 43.25 kg Pw 14.30 kg Pw 43.50 kg Pw 45.3 kg

44 armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003

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30,000 metres firing Extended Range
Full Bore Base Bleed (ERFB-BB) pro-
jectiles of local manufacture. Rear-locat-
ed recoil spades are deployed to assist
platform stabilisation during firing. The
LWSPH is still in the prototype stage but
has already aroused a great deal of inter-
est, especially from Italy where Otobreda
has announced that it is to join STK in
developing a variant with a 155 mm 39-
calibre barrel designed by Otobreda.
Beyond their ease of deployment and
Model of the Bofors Defence 155 mm FH-77BD. (TJG/Armada) high versatility, truck-mounted howitzers
also offer the advantage of being road-
extensive trials - including firings entirely calibre barrel, and the ordnance used in legal to the extent that should need be,
performed by its own army - very nearly the prototype was supplied by RO they can use motorways by driving
bought between a dozen and a score, but Defence. The complete LWSPH really is straight through toll stations, as any other
the idea had to be shelved due to other lightweight; for it currently weighs about truck would. The same applies when they
financial priorities. The French Army has 7000 kg ready to move and it is expected need to refill at a petrol station.
ordered a batch of five Caesars for that, following further development, this There are several other wheeled self-
extended field trials (they will have been number will be reduced even more. The propelled platforms in prospect. One,
delivered by the time these lines are pub- LWSPH can therefore be transported in a about which very little is known, comes
lished), but there is more in store: the C-130 Hercules aircraft with relative from Yugoslavia (or perhaps Serbia
French defence procurement agency has ease, or carried slung under a CH-47 Chi- would be a better term). This involves a
indeed very recently issued a request for nook or CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter. 155 mm 52-calibre barrel mounted on the
offers from Giat for 72 units. The LWSPH travels on a 4
4 wheeled rear of a Fap 2832 8
8 cargo truck chas-
The Caesar has managed to find a new space frame chassis at a maximum road sis.This project is still in the prototype fir-
market spot at the right time, for truck- speed of 80 km/h and has a range of ing trials stage.
borne artillery is fast becoming a pre-
ferred option. The Jordan Armed Forces
have recently ordered 18 Mobat (Mobile
Artillery) truck-mounted 105 mm how-
itzers from the Dutch concern of RDM
Technology. The Mobat has been demon-
strated mounted on a Daf 4
4 truck
chassis, but it is not yet certain which
vehicle will be involved with the Jordan-
ian order. The howitzer is an updated
version of the venerable 105 mm M101
howitzer, modernised by the installation
of a new 33-calibre barrel and some mod-
ifications to the top carriage. The longer
barrel provides a standard range of
14,000 metres firing conventional 105
mm projectiles, or 19,200 metres with
enhanced range projectiles.
Singapore Technologies Kinetics
(STK) has joined in the lightweight con-
test with its innovative 155 mm Light-
Weight Self-Propelled Howitzer
(LWSPH). This 155 mm system has a 39- On a 29,000 kg footprint stands the ubiquitous M109A6 Paladin. (United Defense)

Another wheeled project, yet to appear

Maximum elevation in hardware form, is a light self-propelled
for the 52-calibre version of the normally towed Denel/
barrel of the Denel Lyttleton Engineering Works' 155 mm
155 mm G6-52. G5-2000 howitzer, the 52-calibre version
(Denel) of the well-established G5.This is the Con-
dor, or T5-52, originally developed for
possible adoption by India and therefore
based on a Tatra 8
8 truck produced
under license by Beml in-country. The
T5-52 employs the top carriage of the
G5-2000 mounted on a flat, open platform
with deployable stabiliser legs to hold
things steady during firing. The T5-52 is
still in the pre-prototype stage so many of
its details have yet to be finalised. Firing
155 mm ERFB-BB enhanced range pro-
jectiles, such as those in the Somchem
Assegai series, and using a modular pro-
pellant charge system, the G5-2000/T5-52
Condor can achieve ranges of more than
40,000 metres. It has also been proposed
that the Denel 105 mm Light Experimen-

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Complete Guide
tal Ordnance (Leo) could be mounted on
a light, wheeled, self-propelled truck-type
chassis but that project remains some way
off in the future.

More Wheels
The Lightweights are not the only self-
propelled artillery equipments travelling
on wheels. For nearly two decades there
has been the example of the South African
Denel/LIW 155 mm G6. The G6 seems to
have been involved in a seemingly con-
stant state of detail development from the
time it first entered service back in 1988.
Since then numerous innovations have
been introduced to the vehicle and gun
system to improve almost everything,
from ballistic performance and possible
rate of fire to ergonomics and handling.
The latest innovation is more drastic, since
the adoption of a 155 mm 52-calibre bar-
rel to match that used with the towed G5-
2000 and the fully automated autoloader
have commanded a major redesign of the
turret. This model is known as the G6-52
and was featured at the Idex exhibition in
March 2003. The turret, it is worthy of
notice, also incorporates an assisted
autoloader replenishment system. Using
the Somchem rocket and BB assisted V-
Lap (Velocity-enhanced Long-range Pro-
jectile) this barrel can achieve ranges of
around 53,600 metres. Even longer-range
projectiles are in the pipeline.
Test firing of a 155 mm T6 turret on the Denel ranges. (Denel)
The standard G6 with a 45-calibre bar-
rel, as in service in South Africa, has
remarkable cross-country agility, yet
involves a combat weight of 47,000 kg,
more than some tracked battle tanks. It
also has a very useful road range of 700 km
and can carry 45 projectiles plus their
Fast becoming the
standard European
self-propelled
howitzer, the Krauss-
Maffei Wegmann
PzH 2000. (KMW)
associated modular charges. It continues
to be a world leader in its class and has
achieved some measure of export success
with sales to Oman and the United Arab
Emirates (UAE). The UAE is also using
the G6 gun-laying and navigation integral
fire control system as an enhancement to
the 47-calibre M109L47 155 mm gun,
which increases sub-system commonality
throughout self-propelled artillery assets.
The guns came from Ruag Land Systems
of Switzerland, and the UAE M109L47
programme is being extended by installing
new Deutz diesel engine packs. RDM
Technology of the Netherlands is offering
a 52-calibre M109 update package.
The G6 is not the only wheeled self-
propelled artillery system in existence,
for it was preceded as far back as the late
1970s by the 152 mm Dana gun-howitzer
from what was then Czechoslovakia.
Since then the Dana, based around an
armoured Tatra 8
8 truck chassis, has
undergone significant development that
led to the longer barrelled 152 mm
Ondava (which did not pass the proto-
type stage). Then came the 155 mm
Zuzana, firing either Nato standard pro-
jectiles or 40,000-metre range ERFB-BB
projectiles manufactured in both Slova-
kia and the Czech Republic.
The in-service 45-calibre Zuzana is
now the manufacturing responsibility of
ZTS Dubnica nad Vahom of Slovakia,
although various Czech concerns contin-
ue to supply some elements of the sys-
tem.Apart from being in service with Slo-
vakia, the Zuzana has also been procured
in limited numbers by Greece (the
Zuzana 2000G) and Cyprus, and is now
the only member of the original Dana
family still available for production.
It has been proposed that the Zuzana
turret and its associated components
could be mounted on a T-72M1 tank chas-
sis. Development of this variant is thought
to be complete, although production has
yet to commence. Also available is an
ammunition carrier based around a chas-
sis matching that of the Zuzana. It is antic-
ipated that future Zuzana production
models will be powered by MAN diesels

No Zuzana No FH-77BD No PzH 2000 No AS90 No GCT

Ma ZTS Ma Bofors Ma KMW/Rheinmetall Ma Royal Ordnance Ma Giat
Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm
Cc 4 Cc 6 Cc 5 Cc 5 Cc 4
Lo 52 calibres Lo 45 calibres Lo 52 calibres Lo 52 calibres Lo 40 calibres
Bl 8.05 metres Bl 6.97 metres Bl 8.06 metres Bl 8.06 metres Bl 6.2 metres
Wt 26,600 kg Wt 30,000 kg Wt 55,330 kg Wt 45,000 kg Wt 38,000 kg
Me -3.5 to +70° Me 0 to +70° Me -3 to +65° Me -5 to +70° Me - 4 to +66°
Mt 60° Mt 60° Mt 360° Mt 360° Mt 360°
Mr 39,600 metres Mr 39,000 metres Mr 39,600 metres Mr 39,600 metres Mr 29,000 metres
Pw 45.30 kg Pw 45.30 kg Pw 45.30 kg Pw 45.3 kg Pw 43.25 kg

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This example of a BAE Systems, RO Defence 155 mm AS90 still wears its original
39-calibre barrel. These are soon to be replaced by a 52-calibre component. (BAE
Systems, RO Defence)
rather than the current Tatra twelve-cylin-
der diesel. The MAN diesel will be
matched to an automatic transmission.
The Zuzana has also entered the 52-cal-
ibre ordnance club. A test version is cur-
rently undergoing firing trials with an eye
to future export sales. If the 52-calibre
Zuzana does enter production it may
include many other state-of-the-art
enhancements. In addition to its usual field
artillery functions the Zuzana has been
proposed as a coastal artillery system.
Sweden has entered the wheeled self-
propelled artillery arena by mounting one
of its 155 mm products on Volvo articulat-
ed 6
6 truck chassis with an armoured
cab, a configuration already tested for the
120 mm Karin coastal defence gun. The
original intention was to provide a greater
measure of mobility to the Swedish
Army's Bofors 155 mm FH-77B towed
howitzers. Following evaluation trials with
an FH-77A howitzer (which has a 38-cali-
bre barrel combined with a non Nato stan-
dard ammunition system) and a Volvo
chassis, attentions turned to the 39-calibre
FH-77B, which does employ Nato com-
patible ammunition.
The resultant Bofors Defence AB self-
propelled project then became the FH-
77BD, with a 45-calibre barrel and the
long-term prospect of a 52-calibre barrel,
should production commence. Bofors
Defence has turned its export attentions
to India, which already has the towed FH-
77B in service in quantity (originally 410),
so the 45-calibre FH-77BD has been
scheduled for trials as part of a long-term
selection programme to re-equip a least a
portion of Indian artillery batteries.As yet
the programme has not arrived at a selec-
50
tion conclusion, so the Bofors FH-77BD,
along with several other candidates,
awaits the final decision - the selection
programme has already lasted years.
The Bofors FH-77BD will weigh about
30,000 kg.The Zuzana has a combat weight
of around 28,600 kg while, as already men-
tioned, the G6 weighs in at 47,000 kg.
Therefore, none of these three wheeled
self-propelled artillery equipments can be
classified as light, yet all three do provide
protection for the gun and crew.
New Tracks
With the Crusader out of the way, two 155
mm self-propelled systems dominate the
market, the German Panzerhaubitze 2000
Still going strong
and one of the
systems to be
modified by the
addition of a 52-
calibre barrel, the
Giat GCT AUF1.
(Armada/EHB)
(PzH 2000) and the British AS90. Both
have numerous competitors but those two
remain the chief contenders.
Of the two, the German Krauss-
Maffei Wegmann (KMW) PzH 2000 has,
armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003
to date, gained the larger share of the
market, and in the process has become
what must be regarded as the European
standard self-propelled howitzer in its
class in the same way that the Leopard 2
has become the standard European bat-
tle tank. The PzH 2000 has already been
ordered by Germany (185), Greece (24),
Italy (70) and the Netherlands (57), and
more European sales are in prospect –
Sweden has tested two systems for a
possible future coastal defence artillery
system. The PzH 2000 must be regarded
as a highly advanced artillery platform
with a 52-calibre barrel, an automatic or
semi-automatic loading system holding
60 projectiles and 288 modular charges
and numerous other refinements such as
an integral land navigation system. If nec-
essary, the system can be moved and
operated by a team of three, although five
is the normal complement. All manner
of rapid fire sequences can be accom-
Frontal view of the Slovakian 155 mm
Zuzana based around a Tatra 8
8
chassis. (Armada files)
plished, starting with three rounds in
about nine seconds as well as the ability
to place three or so rounds on target
simultaneously by varying the barrel ele-
vation between shots.
The PzH 2000 weighs around 55,330 kg
when combat ready so it is almost as
heavy as most battle tanks, but it features
many measures that ensure a good cross-
country performance and high surviv-
ability under the most arduous condi-
tions. Power is provided by a 1000 hp
MTU diesel.
Compared with the market inroads
made by the PzH 2000, the sales record of
the BAE Systems, RO Defence AS90 and
The Iranian effort at
joining the big gun
league is illustrated
here with the
155 mm Raad-2,
or Thunder 2. (DIO)
Complete Guide
While relatively new systems are being
mentioned, a new 52-calibre system with an
M109 type configuration is soon to be
announced by Singapore Technologies
Kinetics. Watch this space.

A Russian 152 mm 2S19 at a defence exhibition in Russia. (Armada/YL)
its export version, the Braveheart, have
been more modest. The main customer to
date has been the British Army (179) while
Poland has adopted the turret and arma-
ment suite for installation on a locally
developed chassis that will convert the
AS90 to the Krab.A Desert AS90 has been
proposed for sales in hot/dry regions.
The AS90 started its service life with a
39-calibre barrel, but a conversion pro-
gramme has introduced a 52-calibre bar-
rel with all the attendant range and other
ballistic performance advantages.The on-
board navigation, gun-laying and other
sub-systems of the AS90 are no less
advanced than those on the PzH 2000,
allowing each individual vehicle to oper-
ate autonomously should the need arise.
All barrel-laying drives are electrical,
providing rapid pointing.
Placing an artillery turret on an exist-
ing tank chassis is a well-established prac-
tice, one example being Giat placing a
specially developed 155 mm 40-calibre
artillery turret on an AMX-30 tank chas-
sis to form the GCT AUF1. Currently
some 94 AUF1s are being retrofitted to
the new AUF1-TA standard, which
entails upgrading to a more powerful
750-horsepower Renault E9 engine and
the installation of the Thales Atlas system
(Automatisation de Tir et des Liaisons
l'Artillerie Sol- sol).
Giat has also been contracted by the
French procurement agency DGA to
develop yet another improvement pack-
age. Designated AUF2, the upgrade is
somehow more drastic, as it involves a
complete redesign of the turret to incor-
Veterans
The term M109 has cropped up several
times in this survey. The first examples of
the M109 entered US Army service as far
back as 1961 and became available for
export from 1971 onwards. Since then the
M109 has been progressively upgraded
from a stubby 155 mm barrel up to the lat-
est form, the M109 International export
version, with a 52-calibre barrel. Numer-
porate both a 52-calibre barrel and an ous sub-system and component improve-
autoloader. Thus endowed, the AUF2 – ments have been introduced to match,
the first prototype of which is due to roll including power packs, and over the years
out by the end of 2003 – will be able to the M109 has been licence produced or
speed out rounds to a range of 42 kilo- copied in many forms. The only constant
metres at a rate of ten per minute. The throughout all these changes has been a
autoloader has a capacity of 42 rounds. steady increase in weight, from nearly
Some 70 AUF2s are expected to be pro- 25,000 kg for the original to 29,000 kg or
cured. Like a number of the turrets so for the M109A6 Paladin.
described here, the AUF2 can be dropped The M109 series has been produced in
on perfectly suitable chassis belonging to thousands and it will remain the most
obsolescent tank systems, the T-72 being, widely used and numerically important
of course, the usual example. Western Bloc self-propelled artillery sys-
The T-72 is involved with a South tem for many years to come. It will be
African programme that comprises tak- encountered in many forms and sub-vari-
ing what is basically a G6 155 mm 52-cal-
ibre gun turret and placing it on a T-72 as
part of the already mentioned Indian re-
equipment selection contest.The turret is
known as the T6, produced by LIW, a
Denel division. One sales feature of the
T6 is that when firing the Somchem V-
Lap projectile ranges of around 53,600
metres can be achieved. Despite exten-
sive testing within India, no production
decision has yet been announced.
Other relatively recent arrivals on the
self-propelled artillery scene include the
South Korean 155 mm K9 Thunder. At
first sight the K9 Thunder is based around
a modernised M109 but with a 52-calibre
barrel. The resemblance is not surprising
for what is now Samsung Techwin,
Defense Program Division licence pro-
duced well over 1000 M109s for local pur-
poses. It is in service with the Republic of The Denel G6-52 features an
Korea Army (type classification was as autoloader and the autoloader
recent as 1998) and on order for the Turk- replenishment system seen here.
ish Land Forces Command. (Armada/EHB)

No K9 Thunder No M109A6 Paladin No 2S19 MSTA-S No 2S5 Giatsint-S No Type 54-1

Ma Samsung Ma United Defense Ma Uraltransmash Ma Uraltransmash Ma Norinco
Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm Ca 152 mm Ca 152 mm Ca 1522 mm
Cc 5 Cc 4 Cc 5 Cc 5 Cc 7
Lo 52 calibres Lo 39 calibres Lo 47 calibres Lo 49 calibres Lo 23 calibres
Bl 8.06 metres Bl 6.045 metres Bl 7.14 metres Bl 8.19 metres Bl 2.80 metres
Wt 43,300 kg Wt 28.850 kg Wt 42,000 kg Wt 28,200 kg Wt 15,400 kg
Me -2.5 to +70° Me -3 to +75° Me -4 to +68° Me -2 to +57° Me -2 to +57°
Mt 360° Mt 360° Mt 360° Mt 30° Mt 45°
Mr 40,000 metres Mr 30,000 metres Mr 28,900 metres Mr 37,000 metres Mr 11,800 metres
Pw 45 kg Pw 43.5 kg Pw 42.80 kg Pw 34.00 kg Pw n/a

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ants – for instance, the Swiss Army
M109A1Bs have been upgraded to carry
the 47-calibre barrels produced by Ruag.
That update programme has been only
one of many.
Designs that owe much to the M109
include a 45-calibre offering from Norinco
(the PLZ 45, 54 of which have been sold to
Kuwait), and the Japanese Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries Type 75 and Type 99. The
M109 chassis was also used as the basis for
an Iranian 155 mm system, the 39-calibre
Raad 2, also known as the Thunder 2, from
the Iranian Defence Industries Organiza-
tion (DIO), Armour Industries Group.
East
For Egypt, United Defense LP modified
an M109 turret and chassis to accommo-
date a 122 mm D-30 ordnance to create
the SP 122. This prompts mention of self-
propelled artillery from the former War-
saw Pact nations where for many years the
scene was dominated by two main sys-
tems, the 122 mm 2S1 and the 152 mm 2S9,
both purpose-designed systems dating
from the early 1970s. These two veterans
may still be encountered almost anywhere
throughout the world where Soviet mili-
tary aid once extended but neither has
proved particularly amenable to much
upgrading in ballistic terms so both are
gradually sinking into obsolescence.
Their place has been assumed by more
modern designs, typical of which is the
152 mm 2S19 (MSTA-S), a reversion to a
turret-centred system carried by a tank
The Singapore Technologies Light
Weight Self-Propelled Howitzer rests
on a purpose-developed spaceframe
chassis. (Armada/EHB)
chassis and hull, in this case a combina-
tion of T-72 and T-80 components. On the
2S19, reloading the bulky turret with
fresh rounds involves an ammunition
handling chute through the rear wall. Up
to 50 rounds can be carried for firing out
to ranges of 24,700 metres, the load
including the option of the KBP
Krasnopol laser-guided projectile (the
seeker, designed by Lomo, guides the
round to its laser-marked destination).To
make the 2S19 more attractive to poten-
tial Nato ammunition users, a 155 mm
version renamed the 2S19M has been
proposed (and tested in South Africa),
together with an elongated 52-calibre
barrel variant, the 2S19M1.
Also being actively marketed
(although it is apparently out of series
production) is a self-propelled gun, the
152 mm 2S5. This is the self-propelled
equivalent of the 152 mm 2S36 and has an
identical ballistic performance, delivering
enhanced range projectiles to up to
37,000 metres. The only known non-CIS
customer is understood to be Finland.
Norinco continues to market what must
now be one of the oldest (in design terms)
of all current self-propelled equipments,
the 122 mm Type 54-1 carrying the locally-
manufactured version of the towed M-30
howitzer on a Type 531 armoured person-
nel carrier chassis. Although the Type 54-1
would appear to be at best obsolescent it
should have great attraction to many less
well-endowed nations who require a self-
propelled artillery capability.
To extend its self-propelled artillery
offerings, Norinco also markets vehicles
carrying locally manufactured 122 mm
D-30 howitzers and 130 mm M-46 guns.
The latter is based on the same
turret/chassis combination as the 152 mm
Type 83, now no longer in production but
essentially similar to the Russian 2S9 as
both hail from the same design genera-
tion.The one thing all these Norinco offer-
ings have in common is that none of them
appear to have been exported in quantity.
The 122 mm D-30 and 130 mm M-46 have
apparently found no takers while the only
known sales of the 122 mm Type 54/1
involved a batch of 36 to Bolivia.

Towed Artillery –

Range and Light Weight Is the Motto

T
Following the growing acceptance of self-propelled artillery from World War II owed artillery will be with us for as far
ahead as can be forecast for several
onwards, many pundits have been forecasting the demise of its towed brother.
other reasons other than just portabil-
According to some accepted thinking, towed artillery is too exposed on the ity. There is the cost factor; for, as a gener-
battlefield, takes too long to get in and out of action and relies on vulnerable al rule, towed artillery is less expensive in
tractor vehicles to move it any distance. All this may be true, but towed artillery unit and maintenance terms than the more
complex self-propelled platforms. It makes
is still around for several reasons, not the least being that it can be transported
fewer demands on transport-related infra-
long distances much more easily than its self-propelled counterparts, notably structures, such as bridging, especially
when rapid deployment and special forces are involved. when some self-propelled systems weigh

54 armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003

Complete Guide
replace them). There are now three main
calibre brackets. One is 105 mm, the next
upward bracket being 122 and 130 mm,
and then 152 or 155 mm.
105 mm remains widespread for the
simple reason it delivers a useful projectile
to a reasonable range and it is well estab-
lished within many gun parks throughout
the world, many pieces still dating from
the 1939 to 1945 time period. It is also rel-
atively light. As has been indicated in

«…there are some types of

Bringing the Giat 105 mm LG1 Mark II light gun into action. (Giat)
almost as much as battle tanks. In addition,
there are some types of battlefield terrain
where the deployment of self-propelled
artillery would be well nigh impossible.
Combat in mountainous areas presents
but one example of this terrain factor,
while for amphibious warfare towed
artillery remains the norm. To round mat-
ters off, many towed artillery systems are
readily air-portable, including swift moves
by helicopters.
calibres larger than 155 mm or less than
105 mm now rather rare, such examples
being relics of a bygone era retained for
some special purpose or task that rarely
arises (or the user lacks the funds to
battlefield terrain where
the deployment
of self-propelled
artillery would be well
nigh impossible.»
many campaigns where light forces haves
to operate in difficult or remote areas (the
Falkland Islands campaign of 1982 comes
to mind), towed 105 mm artillery is the

Expectancy
Gunners expect much from the guns and
howitzers that they serve. Close to the top
of their requirements list is, as always, as
much range as can be achieved. Another
is that the overall system weight be kept
as light as possible for, in the last resort,
towed artillery still has to rely on physical
labour to a considerable extent.There are
many other demands but range and
weight tend to predominate. Towed
artillery and ordnance design therefore
has to maintain a precarious balance.
Pack in too much range potential in the
form of long barrels and powerful
charges and weight tends to rise alarm-
ingly. Make the ordnance and carriage
too light and they fail to withstand the
hard rigours of warfare.
Towed artillery comes in many cali- The Denel/LIW 105 mm Light Experimental Ordnance (Leo) in the process of making
bres, from 75 up to 155 mm, with artillery its presence felt. (Denel)

No M101/33 No LG Mark II No Light Gun No Leo No Model 56

Ma RDM Ma Giat Ma Royal Ordnance Ma Denel Ma Otobreda
Ca 105 mm Ca 105 mm Ca 105 mm Ca 105 mm Ca 105 mm
Lo 33 calibres Lo 30 calibres Lo 37 calibres Lo 57 calibres Lo 14 calibres
Bl 3.51 metres Bl 3.15 metres Bl 3.88 metres Bl 5.98 metres Bl 1.47 metres
Wt 2150 kg Wt 1520 kg Wt 1860 kg Wt 3500 kg Wt 1290 kg
Me -6 to +70° Me -3 to +70° Me 5.5 to +70° Me -5 to +75° Me -5 to +65°
Mt 46° Mt 36° Mt 360° Mt 40° Mt 36°
Mr 19,500 metres Mr 18.500 metres Mr 21,000 metres Mr 30,000 metres Mr 10,575 metres
Pw 14.30 kg Pw 13 kg Pw 16 kg Pw 15.80 kg Pw 14.97 kg

56 armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003

 Complete Guide
considered as coming to the end of their
useful lives. This will not be marked by a
process of direct replacement by more
modern designs, but one alternative is the
now commonly-encountered artillery
practise of installing longer barrels to
increase the range, plus altering the recoil
and recuperator mechanisms to suit. Some
of these updates, often supplied in kit form
to keep the conversion work local, also
include strengthening the carriage where
necessary.
Rheinmetall DeTec was an early
entrant into this field, for it converted all
the M101s held by the then West German
Bundeswehr to accommodate longer bar-
rels that increased the maximum possible
range (using standard projectiles) from
The Otobreda 105 mm Pack Howitzer Model 56 has been around for what seems like 11,270 to 14,100 metres. Before long oth-
forever but is still going strong. (TJG/Armada) ers joined the M101 update market, Giat

heaviest than can be deployed. It is thus

held by many of the more advanced
armed forces for just this special opera-
tions role, while for many of the world's
armed forces 105 mm is about as large as
they will ever need (or be able to afford).
These two factors have loomed over the
sales success of the British BAE Systems,
RO Defence, 105 mm Light Gun.
The 122 and 130 mm calibres are no
longer favoured by artillery designers or
users. Most in-service designs in these cal-
ibres date back several decades, with one
of the most frequently encountered for-
mer Soviet design, the 122 mm D-30 how-
itzer, dating back to 1938. There is also
the 130 mm Field Gun M-46 dating from
the early 1950s Soviet era and still in
widespread service the world over.
Nearly all design and operational
emphasis is now placed on the 152 and
155 mm calibres for the main towed
artillery component within field batter-
CONFORMING
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and 155 seems likely to remain effective TO YOUR ENVIRONMENT
for some time, mainly for legacy reasons.
However, there are indications (such as
from the Czech Republic and Poland)
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been initiated. It seems highly unlikely
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ammunition and barrel manufacturing C4I applications:
facilities remain in being while, for both • Separate or integrated LCD and electronics
gunners and recipients, the on-target dif- • 17", 18", 21.3" and 24” Display Modules
• Resolution from SXGA to WUXGA
ferences between 152 and 155 mm have • User-configurable Display Control Module
become academic. Another switch to 155 • On-board video mixing
can be seen with the proposed enhancing • Front bonding for superior ruggedization and
lowest reflections
of the 130 mm M-46 gun and M114 how- • Automatic Phase Adjust (APA)
itzer to accommodate 155 mm barrels, of • LCD Flicker Compensation (LFC) (Patented)
• Touch Screen
which more later.
Technology, functionality, reliability and flexibility supported
by a global sales and services network, that is Barco.
Lights
One of the most numerous items of towed
artillery still in service must be the US 105 I NNOVATORS IN I MAGE P ROCESSING
mm Howitzer M101 - it is listed as being in
service with over 60 countries. Although BarcoView BarcoView, LLC
some production of this time-honoured Phone: +32 56 233 413 Phone: +1 678 475 8000
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piece was undertaken as recently as 1983,
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date from the 1940-1945 period so, sturdy
and reliable as they may be, many must be

armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003 57

Complete Guide
A veteran dating from 1938 but still quite effective – the CIS 122 mm M-30, which is
still available from Norinco of China as the Type 54-1. (Armada/TJG)
of France and RDM Technology of the
Netherlands both achieving levels of sales
success. For instance, RDM Technology
sold its 33-calibre barrel conversion to
Canada and Chile, both based around bar-
rels developed by RO Defence. Giat sold
its M101 modernisation package to the
Philippines and Thailand. In South Korea
the Kia Machine Company produced the
KH 178, an M101 built from new but with
a 34-calibre barrel and a maximum range
of 14,700 metres.
The 105 mm modernisation market is
still open. It is known that Greece is inves-
tigating the possibility of re-barrelling a
small batch of their M101 holdings for use
by Marine units. The M101 remains a firm
favourite with many Marine forces,
including the US Marine Corps.
Two other 105 mm pieces now domi-
nate the market. RO Defence continues
to supply the 105 mm Light Gun and Giat
offers the LG1. Of the two, the Light Gun
has been the most successful, both numer-
ically and in the number of user nations,
but Giat has also made significant sales.
Between 1990 and 1996 Giat sold the LG1
to Belgium, Canada, Indonesia, Singa-
pore and Thailand. Of these the largest
number (37) went to Singapore. These
were the LG1 Mark 1 model, the later
Mark II having a strengthened barrel to
enable it to utilise more powerful propel-
lant charges to obtain the maximum pos-
sible range from a family of enhanced
range projectiles developed specifically
for the LG1 by Giat. The family includes
a Base Bleed (BB) HE projectile with a
maximum range of 17,500 metres, the
unassisted HE projectile reaching out to
15,000. The LG1 remains on offer, with
sales in prospect.
Over 1000 British Light Guns are in
service with at least 17 countries,
although a few of these obtained their
guns from previous owners while others
hold only token numbers. The largest sin-
gle user (427) is the US Army with over
half of them licence manufactured in
America as the M119A1 (licence produc-
tion has also been undertaken in Aus-
tralia and Malaysia). The Light Gun has
been around since 1973 but, thanks to its
advanced design and manufacturing fea-
tures, shows little sign of flagging. Mid-
life programmes have been proposed and
the latest forms of digital fire control sys-
tems have been introduced. The Indian
Ordnance Factory Board offer a Light
Gun clone known as the 105/37 Light
Field Gun E1.
The ammunition family specific to the
Light Gun has been enhanced by several
concerns, including RO Defence itself,
Rheinmetall DeTec (which absorbed
Eurometall) and Expal of Spain.These BB
enhanced range projectiles extend the
potential range from a very respectable
17,200 metres to more than 21,000.
Future improvements to the Light Gun
might include developments from South
Africa based around the Denel G7
105 mm Light Experimental Ordnance, or
Leo. At present the Leo remains a tech-
nology demonstrator intended, in simple
but rather extraordinary terms, to obtain a
155 mm performance package from a
105 mm gun and carriage. At the heart of
this venture is a combination of a 57-
calibre barrel (including a rifled muzzle
brake) and Extended Range Full Bore
(ERFB) projectile technology that pro-
vides a range of 30,000 metres with BB
projectiles. The introduction of a proximi-
ty fuze combined with an HE projectile
having a liner of steel spheres results in a
lethal area coverage comparable to that
for a 155 mm HE projectile. Should future
plans come to fruition the prototype will
be further developed into a lighter model
incorporating advanced steel alloys to
reduce the current system weight of about
3800 kg to approximately 2500.
The Leo remains a technology demon-
strator, but it has attracted a great deal of
attention, especially from the US Army
where a long-term replacement for the
M119A1 Light Guns is under investigation.
That programme will probably take years
to germinate but in the meantime some
aspects of the ammunition could no doubt
be incorporated into the British Light Gun
modernisation or replacement plans.
The Italian Otobreda 105 mm Model
56 Pack Howitzer remains on a 'produc-
tion as required' basis, and in service with
numerous armed forces. Being light and
A light gun for light forces, the BAE
Systems, RO Defence 105 mm Light
Gun. (BAE Systems, RO Defence)

No D-30 No M-30 No 2A36 No 2A65 No D-20

Ma GUPZ Ma CIS Ma CIS Ma CIS Ma Petrov Design
Ca 122 mm Ca 122 mm Ca 152 mm Ca 152 mm Ca 152 mm
Lo 40 calibres Lo 23 calibres Lo 49 calibres Lo n/available Lo 34 calibres
Bl 4.87 metres Bl 2.80 metres Bl 8.19 metres Bl n/available Bl 5.19 metres
Wt 3150 kg Wt 2450 kg Wt 9760 kg Wt 7000 kg Wt 5650 kg
Me -7 to +70° Me -3 to +63.5° Me -2.5 to +57° Me -3.5 to +70° Me -5 to +63°
Mt 360° Mt 49° Mt 50° Mt 54° Mt 58°
Mr 17,630 metres Mr 11,800 metres Mr 27,000 metres Mr 24,000 metres Mr 17,140 metres
Pw 21.76 kg Pw 21.76 kg Pw 46 kg Pw 43.65 kg Pw 43.51 kg

58 armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003


features of the D-30, including the car-
riage, were modifications of Germans
ideas scheduled for production in 1945,
but considerably strengthened and modi-
fied to meet Red Army requirements.
The D-30 manages to deliver a maxi-
mum range of 15,300 metres (with a 21.76
kg HE projectile), a remarkable perform-
ance from a 122 mm howitzer that weighs
just over 3000 kg. Over the years the
D-30 has proved to be extremely adapt-
able, the latest 2A18M updated model
featuring modifications that allow it to be
towed at higher speeds than before, plus
some handling improvements. Special
enhanced range ammunition has been
developed for the D-30, including ERFB
HE projectiles developed by Croatia to
increase the maximum range to 17,630
metres. Croatia has manufacturing facili-
ties for the D-30 and the type remains in
production in China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq
Complete Guide
and the former Yugoslavia. It is no longer
in production within Russia. The D-30
has managed to find its way into what
seems like every corner of the world and
it is expected to be around at least for
decades to come.
Another Russian 122 mm howitzer
likely to be encountered almost anywhere
is the more conventional M1938 (M-30).
As its designation implies, the M1938 has
been around for a considerable time, yet it
shows little sign of fading from the scene.
Production within Russia ceased long ago
but it is still available from Norinco as the
122 mm Type 54-1. The M1938 has been
altered little over the years, the last exam-
ple off the production line being almost
identical to the first. It remains simple,
sturdy and reliable and is able to fire the
same projectiles that were later carried
over to the D-30 ammunition suite
(although with a different charge system),

Q
question
The 52-calibre model of the Giat
155 mm TR towed gun. (Giat) Whose Technology Provides...
• Structure when needed and vanishes when fired
handy, the Model 56 is still widely respect- • Enhanced propelling charge safety
ed as a masterpiece of artillery design, • Improved ballistic performance
now largely considered somewhat out- • Reduced weight and improved logistics
moded by delivering a range of only • A consumable packaging capability
10,575 metres firing conventional projec-

A
• Long-term storage and reliability
tiles. But that is the price that must be paid
for a howitzer that is light and portable
enough to be carried in sections by pack answer
animals, although it seems that few cus-
tomers rely on such transport measures, Armtec offers global solutions for
other than in an emergency. all your combustible ordnance needs
The former Eastern Bloc offers no • Custom engineering and product design
direct equivalent to the Nato area
• Large and small scale production capability
105 mm pieces. Some venerable 76.2 mm
Zis-3 field equipment may still be • Propulsion system modernization and refurbishment
around, while the 76 mm mountain gun • A team approach dedicated to customer satisfaction
GP (M1966) was produced in relatively • Technology transfer
small numbers only. Romania has
attempted to market the Romarm 98 mm
For more information on our products
Model 93, another specialised mountain and capabilities please contact us at:
artillery pack howitzer, but to date there
appears to have been few takers, proba-
www.armtecdefense.com
bly due to its unique calibre. Ph: (760) 398-0143
Fx: (760) 398-3896

Mediums
The main calibres within the medium cate-
gory are 122 mm and 130 mm. Both remain
the remit of what were once the Warsaw
Pact nations, and have what are now con-
sidered Russian design origins.
For the 122 mm calibre, the main atten-
tion must be given to the Howitzer D-30,
or 2A18.When it first appeared during the
1960s, the D-30 attracted a great deal of
interest due mainly to the triple leg car-
riage that permitted a full 360° traverse
and the unusual method of towing by a
lunette at the muzzle brake. Many of the

armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003 59

Complete Guide
ing 130 mm ordnance by a 45-calibre 155
A face-to-face mm barrel with all the ammunition stan-
view of the dardisation and performance increases
latest version of entailed.The long defunct Space Research
South Africa’s Corporation (SRC) of Dr Gerry Bull fame
155 mm G5 – was an early exponent of this process, one
the -2000. result being the Norinco GM-45. At one
(Denel) time the former Yugoslavia offered a sim-
ilar update package while Soltam of Israel
managed to interest the Indian Army with
their similar upgrade (India has about 750
M-46s in its armoury). It seems that Indi-
an designers have now made their own
product marketed under the name of
Metamorphosis, seemingly reflecting local
design work but no doubt based on
imported knowledge.The Indian project is
still at the prototype stage; the intention
being that all Indian Army M-46s will
become 155 mm one day. RDM Technolo-
gy of the Netherlands also offers a 155 mm
M-46 upgrade.

maximum range is 11,800 metres, and
weight in action is 2450 kg.
The 122 mm gun component, as
opposed to howitzers, is the Field Gun
D-74 dating from the late 1940s and
developed as an alternative to the 130
mm M-46. In the course of events the
M-46 gained the most approval, but the
D-74 was still manufactured in significant
numbers. It is no longer in Russian front-
line service but was manufactured by
Norinco as the Type 60 and was exported
to Cuba, Nigeria, Peru and a few other
nations. The D-74 fires a 27.3 kg HE pro-
jectile to 24,000 metres. The D-74 has the
same carriage and recoil system as the
152 mm Howitzer D-20.
The 130 mm M-46 can probably boast
the strongest ordnance and carriage com-
bination in artillery history. It seems that
everything relating to the M-46 is over-
sized and heavy – the total system weight
is about 7700 kg. This may be quite a bit
for a gun crew to conveniently move
about yet the dividend is that a 33.24 kg
projectile can be hurled to a range of
27,490 metres. By adding a BB unit, as
accomplished by the Iranian Defence
Industries Organisation, the range can be
increased significantly to 37,000 metres.
A 130 mm ERFB BB projectile market-
ed by Norinco can reach 38,000 metres.
Cargo projectiles have been developed
(Norinco again) while ammunition is
manufactured in at least twelve countries,
from Finland (Patria Vammas) to South
Africa (Denel).
The M-46 itself was also produced in
Egypt and is no longer in production
within Russia. Norinco offers a clone
known as the Type 59.
«Before considering the
155 mm calibre it would be
well to consider the 152.
This has long been a
Soviet/Russian standard
calibre…»
This ammunition manufacturers' total
provides only an indication of how wide-
spread the issue of the M-46 remains. It
has seen frequent action, sometimes with
both sides of a conflict, such as when Iran
and Iraq hurled hate at each other during
their costly war of the late 1980s.
The inherent strength of the M-46 has
meant that it is the subject of a major
upgrading process of replacing the exist-
152 mm
Before considering the 155 mm calibre it
would be well to consider the 152. This has
long been a Soviet/Russian standard cali-
bre, the towed pieces reflecting the accept-
ed long and steady development path
where a previous carriage is used to
accommodate a new piece of ordnance. A
departure from this practice was made
with the 152 mm Gun 2A36 intended to be
the replacement for the 130 mm M-46.The
production run of about 1500 units was
modest compared to other local artillery
production totals, the Russian Army tak-
ing 1200. The 2A36 is used by CIS associ-
ated states but not in great numbers. The
most noticeable features of the 2A36
remains the long 49-calibre barrel, the two
road wheels each side to carry the weight
of about 10,000 kg, and its ability to fire a
43.5 kg projectile to 27,000 metres.When a
rocket-assisted projectile is involved the
range increases to 40,000 metres.
More representative of current Russ-
ian artillery trends is the 152 mm Gun-
Howitzer 2A65. This is a completely con-
ventional split-trail carriage design dating
from the mid 1980s and firing an HE pro-
jectile weighing 43.56 kg to a maximum
range of 24,700 metres. To date, the 2A65
has not been exported, although it has
been marketed. The 2A65 weighs about

No GH N-45 No G5/2000 No 155 TR/52 No FH2000 No 155/52 APU SBT

Ma T&T Ma Denel Ma Giat Ma STK Ma Santa Barbara
Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm
Lo 45 calibres Lo 52 calibres Lo 52 calibres Lo 52 calibres Lo 52 calibres
Bl 7.05 metres Bl 8.06 metres Bl 8.06 metres Bl 8.06 metres Bl 8.15 metres
Wt 10,070 kg* Wt 13,850 kg Wt 11,000 kg Wt 13,500 kg Wt 13,500 kg
Me -5 to +72° Me -3 to +75° Me -6 to +66° Me -3 to +70° Me -3 to +72°
Mt 70° Mt 65° Mt 65° Mt 60° Mt 80°
Mr 39,600 metres** Mr 52,500 metres Mr 41,500 metres Mr 40,000 metres Mr 41,000 metres
Pw 46.50 kg Pw 47.70 kg Pw 43.50 kg Pw 47.70 kg Pw 47.70 kg
* 12,350 for A1 model with APU-equipped self-propelled
** 50 km with Denel’s Assegai munitions

60 armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003

Complete Guide
The Denel LIW G5-52 has recently completed its initial trials at the Alkantpan firing test
range in South Africa. The new 52-calibre gun includes an electrically-driven chain
rammer which loads both the projectile and the charge in the gun barrel, a projectile
magazine holding six projectiles in two layers and a small crane that transfers three
projectiles at a time from a ground pile to the projectile magazine. (Denel)
7000 kg when firing, considerably more
than the 152 mm 2A61 which weighs 4350
kg. The 2A61 shares the same 360° tra-
verse carriage as the 125 mm 2A45M anti-
tank gun but as yet it seems to have
remained a prototype.
Not to be forgotten is the 152 mm
Gun-Howitzer D-20, manufactured in
China as the Type 66. During the late
1940s, the D-20 designers relied heavily
on Great Patriotic War combat experi-
ence, so it employs many well-tested
design features, to which must be added
great strength. It has the same carriage
and recoil system as the 122 mm Gun
D-74, the relatively short muzzle-braked
152 mm barrel delivering a 43.5 kg HE
projectile to 17,410 metres. The D-20
serves quite a mixed variety of nations,
from Vietnam to Algeria.
tered in Belgium, upset the apple cart by
introducing the 45-calibre barrel and the
super-streamlined ERFB projectiles with
an optional BB unit to enhance ranges by
a significant factor. Ranges of 40,000
metres became possible, far outstripping
the 39-calibres' ERFB BB capability of
30,000 metres, so before long others had
joined the 45-calibre market to the extent
that 45 calibres became the accepted
standard for field artillery. If that were
not enough, extending the barrel length a
little more to 52-calibres and introducing
more powerful charges, all manner of bal-
listic possibilities became available.
In practical terms, the extension to 45
calibres began with the Austrian GC 45,
still marketed by T & T Technology and
Trading as the GH N-45. This was a com-
mercial variant of the original SRC
design, soon resulting in several other sim-
ilar-looking systems, such as the Norinco
Type WA 021. What is now Singapore
Technologies Kinetics came up with the
FH-88. Soltam of Israel offered the option
of either 39- or 45-calibre barrels with the
Model 839P and 845P howitzers while
what is now Patria Vammas offered 39- or
45-calibre versions of the M-83.
Perhaps the most influential of the 45-
calibre howitzers was (and still is) the
South African Denel G5. The G5 was
made far more robust and adaptable than
the original SRC models, combining
input from both SRC itself and the South
Africans. In many ways the G5 is typical
of the 45-calibre howitzers in being large
and heavy enough to warrant an auxiliary
power unit to power the road wheels dur-
ing short moves and creating hydraulic
power to open and close the split trail car-
riage legs and for other services, such as
lifting the recoil spades.
The G5 is also typical in being one of
the first towed 155 mm artillery pieces to
feature a 52-calibre barrel. The G5 then
became the G5-2000. Firing the Somchem
V-Lap (Velocity-enhanced Long-range
Projectile) that manages to combine rock-
et assistance with BB, ranges of 53,600
metres or so can be achieved (at least
42,000 metres from a 45-calibre barrel).
The G5-2000 also introduces all-digital fire
control and handing improvements.
Other candidates for the 52-calibre
155 mm towed artillery market include
Giat with the 155 TR/52 Towed Gun (an
upgrade of the 155 TR), STK with its
FH2000, the Santa Barbara Sistemas
155 mm 155/52 APU SBT howitzer and
the Finnish Patria Vammas 155 mm 155
GH 52 APU. All these systems, and oth-
ers still in the pipeline (such as a gun-
howitzer supposedly under development
in the former Yugoslavia), have basically
similar ballistic performances as they all
fire Nato standard projectiles, and fea-
ture the option of ERFB and ERFB BB
to extend the maximum ranges.
52-calibre barrels do not feature with
one of the largest recent artillery hap-
penings, namely the US Army adoption
of the M777 Lightweight 155 mm towed
howitzer from RO Defence (originally
Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering).

155 mm
The adoption of 155 mm in place of less-
er calibres began in earnest during the
1970s. The advantages of firing heavy
projectiles to greater ranges was made No GH 52 APU No UFH/M777 No M114/39
possible by the introduction of the long Ma Vammas Ma Royal Ordnance Ma RDM
39-calibre barrels of weapons such as the Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm Ca 155 mm
US M198, the British/Franco/German/ Lo 52 calibres Lo 39 calibres Lo 39 calibres
Italian FH-70, the French Giat 155 TR, Bl 8.06 metres Bl 6.09 metres Bl 6.02 metres
the Spanish Santa Barbara SB 155/39 Wt 13,500 kg Wt 3745 kg Wt 7600 kg
(which never entered production) and Me -5 to +70° Me -5 to +70° Me -2 to +63°
the Swedish Bofors FH-77B (the FH- Mt 70° Mt 45° Mt 49°
77A involved non-Nato standard ammu- Mr 41,300 metres Mr 30,000 metres Mr 32,400 metres
nition). At about the same time the Pw 46.50 kg Pw 43.50 kg Pw 47.70 kg
already-mentioned SRC, then headquar-

62 armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003

Complete Guide
The M777 is now in the low rate limited
production phase. The US Army and
Marine Corps both decided to stick with
the same 39-calibre M284 ordnance as
used with their well-established M198
towed howitzer, considering that it deliv-
ers all they require. Following a protract-
ed selection process that lasted over a
decade, it seems that the US requirement
total is about 686. It is understood that
the British Army has a requirement for
70 units, which will probably be similar to
the M777, to act as their future Light-
weight Mobile Artillery Weapon System
(Limaws). Italy has also revealed an
interest in the programme.
«The heart of the trajectory-
corrected munition
generally lies in the fuze,
which deploys an array of
air or rocket brakes. »
The M777 was originally marketed as
the Vsel Ultra lightweight Field Howitzer
(UFH). With the UFH/M777 the accent is
on light weight, this to enable the com-
plete system to be lifted by a UH-60 Black
Hawk helicopter, the carriage, therefore,
makes considerable use of light alloys and
a careful stress-related design to keep the
total weight down to 3745 kg. The ord-
nance is mounted on what is essentially a
firing table resting on four stabiliser legs,
two of them pointing forward.
In addition to all these innovations,
the venerable US 155 mm Howitzer
M114 is the subject of a barrel lengthen-
ing update process similar to that applied
to the 105 mm M101. By replacing the
existing 23-calibre barrel by 39-calibre
components and beefing up the carriage
in a few places, it becomes possible to
extend the service life of M114 veterans
by a useful margin. Once again, much of
the conversion can come in kit form for
local incorporation. The list of concerns
able to provide such conversions is head-
ed by RDM, who has provided the means
to place 39-calibre barrels on M114/39s
for Denmark, the Netherlands and Nor-
way. Soltam of Israel also offers a similar
conversion, while Kia Metal Industries
can build its KH179, virtually a M114
with a 39-calibre barrel, from new. It is
Volume 27, No. 4, August/September 2003
ARMADA INTERNATIONAL
is published bimonthly in Zurich, Switzerland.
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64
understood that a similar process has
been carried out in Iran.The introduction
of the longer barrel increases the M114's
maximum range from 14,600 to 18,100
metres with the HE M107 projectile, and
up to 32,400 with ERFB BB.
Smart Ammunition
Although the howitzer has hitherto been
perceived as an area weapon, two new
trends have been developing over the
past decade.The first one, which concerns
trajectory-corrected munitions, was born
out of necessity, due to the increased
ranges now afforded by the combination
of longer barrels, more effective propel-
lants and assisted rounds (rocket or base-
bleed). The heart of the trajectory-cor-
rected munition generally lies in the fuze,
which deploys an array of air or rocket
brakes. These are either triggered by a
radio signal (itself aired out by a tracking
radar) or by an on-board GPS receiver.
Examples of such fuzes have been devel-
oped by Bofors Defence, L3, Diehl or
Giat to name but a few. In both cases, the
idea is to fire the round to a range that is
a tad further beyond that of the target
and then let the fuze brake the round and
thereby accurately trim its trajectory.
Operating principle of the German Smart warhead developed by Giws – a consortium
made up of Diehl Munitionssysteme and Rheinmetall DeTec. (Giws)
Advertising offices:
Austria,Finland,Germany,Scandinavia,Switzerland,Spain
Hans-Ruedi Fröhlich, Franz-Rittmeyer-Weg 5,
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Phone: (+41 41) 760 72 78, Fax: (+41 41) 760 72 79
e-mail: fairspace@topweb.ch
France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxemburg
Peter Stierlin, Thurgauerstrasse 39, CH-8050 Zurich
Phone: (+41 1) 308 5050
United Kingdom Aerospace Media, Michael Elmes,
Flatford Lane, East Bergholt, Colchester CO7 6UJ, England
Phone: +44 (0) 1206 299211, Fax: +44 (0) 1206 299212
e-mail: mike.elmes.@aerospacemedia.co.uk
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
LAGUK Co. Ltd., Yuri Laskin, Novoriazanskaya Street 31/7,
App. 96, RF-107060 Moscow, Russian Federation; Phone:
(+7 095) 912 1346, Fax: (+7 095) 912 1260
e-mail: ylarm-lml@ntu-net.ru
USA – Special Reports Gene Selven & Associates, Inc., Gene
Selven, Kim Newman, 7291 Coronado Drive, Suite 8, San Jose,
CA 95129, Phone: (408) 996 7400, Fax: (408) 996 7871
e-mail: gselven@aol.com
armada INTERNATIONAL 4/2003
The second trend is intended to turn
howitzers into anti-armour weapons. Two
systems have been developed in the west-
ern world, one by Giws (the Smart) and
the other by Giat and Bofors (the Bonus).
A third had been developed by Alliant
TechSystems and Aerojet in the United
States, but now abandoned. In fact, Alliant
Ammunition Systems is now in charge of
marketing the German Smart in the New
World. Both the Smart and the Bonus
operate on the same principle, under
which a cargo round carries two smart sub-
munitions. At a given height (not altitude)
above the suspected target area, the cargo
shell opens and the two submunitions are
extracted. The latter then deploy asym-
metrical airfoils (parachute for the Smart
and metal winglets for the Bonus), which
not only slows their descent but imparts a
spinning motion. By thus ‘wobbling down’,
their seekers (millimetric radar-cum-
infrared for the Giws and dual-spectrum
infrared for the Bonus) look at the ground
along a narrowing spiral pattern. As soon
as an object that matches the pattern pro-
duced by their algorithms is detected, their
explosively forged projectile warheads are
triggered. Both the Smart and the Bonus
are in production, and neither requires any
modification to fit the howitzers. a
Western USA – West of the Mississippi River
Diane Stevenson,
810 Val Sereno Drive
Olivenhain, CA 92024,
Phone: (858) 759 3557, Fax: (858) 759 3552
e-mail: dianestevenson@cox.net
Eastern USA – East of the Mississippi River
Margie Brown & Associates, Margie Brown,
4775 Mallard Court,
Warrenton, Virginia 20187-2500
Phone: (540) 341 7581, Fax: (540) 341 7582,
e-mail: margiespub@erols.com
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