On the truck. Interesting niche in artillery
The CAESAR howitzer was developed by Nexter with two basic requirements: firstly, the mass should not exceed 18 tons in order to be able to transport it in the C-130 military transport aircraft: secondly, it must be able to stop, shoot and shoot from a position in less than 100 seconds
Observations made during the conflict in Ukraine once again demonstrated the importance of choosing between towed and self-propelled artillery. Thus, the vulnerability of artillery batteries performing several fire missions from one position was again shown. The ability of an opponent to detect, locate, shoot and destroy, or at least seriously reduce the possibilities of battery support has been demonstrated more than once. The advantage of towed guns is a small mass, which simplifies their transfer, especially by airplanes and on the suspension of cargo helicopters. In most cases, they are also easier to maintain. The main limitation is that they should be towed by a tractor, as a rule, a tactical truck, in connection with which the time for preparation for shooting and removal from the position increases.
On the other hand, a self-propelled gun, having its own self-propelled chassis and, as a result, moving on the commands of the crew, can get a firing task even while driving, immediately stop. shoot back and then start moving again, often spending only a few minutes. These guns are also structurally complete systems with automated control, navigation, and ammunition on board and often automatic loading, which determines a high rate of fire. Self-propelled guns, as a rule, are heavier than towed counterparts and, moreover, until recently, they were mainly based on tracked chassis. Both of these features complicate the transportation of self-propelled units by air and limit their use where bridges and roads have a mass restriction.
Therefore, the dilemma that was reiterated in connection with the events in Ukraine, but in general has long been well known to everyone, is as follows: it is necessary to have fire support systems that would be mobile enough to quickly change position (so as not to become a victim of counter-battery fire) even in less developed infrastructural rural areas, and which at the same time could fulfill the whole range of fire missions. For some armies, the ability to transfer a military transport is also necessary. aviation for deployment anywhere in the world. In addition, it is desirable that the cost of such systems be within reasonable limits, as, indeed, operational reliability. As a result, the idea arose to “marry” the mobility of a tactical truck with howitzer firepower. In this case, the artillery unit is usually mounted on the rear loading platform, often with stops that fall to the ground and reduce the impact of the recoil impulse.
The ability to quickly move the truck chassis can significantly reduce the total weight, especially if the reservation is limited to the driver’s cab / settlement or is even missing. In this case, the platform is required to quickly take up a firing position, quickly shoot back, and then, to avoid return fire, quickly change position, using its advantage in mobility.
The CAESAR project manager at Nexter, which created one of the most successful "artillery systems on a truck," said: "The project’s ultimate goal was to create a system that could perform a fire task in 100 seconds: stop, load, guide, making multiple shots and removing from position. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that exceeding this time interval is fraught. A modern advanced enemy can, during this time, detect, determine the location of the firing gun and open fire on it. ”
Weak ballistic protection or lack thereof in self-propelled guns is a conscious decision that reflects the fact that towed guns also lack such protection, but they cannot independently change positions at such a speed. On the one hand, the combination of a mobile chassis with an installed cannon very much resembles a towed gun, which requires a tractor of one type or another for towing, but on the other hand, it’s still fundamentally, you can even say ideologically, different.
This new combination works well with the support of motorized infantry. However, it can be a disadvantage for light infantry, which will be deployed with the support of helicopters. In this case, the total weight of the truck / cannon system, at least in the medium 155-mm cannon segment, can exceed the capacity of many helicopters. Of course, this is not a sentence, as the developers have already demonstrated light tactical trucks with specially configured howitzers, usually 105 caliber mm. These systems can be transported on the suspension of heavy helicopters, such as the Boeing CH-47D / F Chinook and Sikorsky CH- 53E / K.
The advantages of the self-propelled artillery systems on the automobile chassis are so obvious that the military of an increasing number of countries show increased interest in them. In addition, to create such systems do not require too high technical level of the engineering school and rich design experience. As a result, a number of countries have developed their own localized versions of the truck / gun combination. This allows you to quickly and often cost-effectively increase the mobility of army artillery at lower financial costs.
Self-propelled artillery components
As a rule, the self-propelled unit of the type in question includes a ready truck chassis, a gun and a carriage, a stabilization system and a fire control system, which often includes an integrated subsystem of ground navigation and positioning. In some projects, automatic or semi-automatic loading is also added in order to reduce the number of calculations and increase the rate of fire for faster completion of the firing task and removal from the position.
Nexter developed the CAESAR howitzer in order to get a highly mobile artillery system that could be moved with the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft anywhere in the world. After extended tests, it was adopted by the French army in order to replace not only towed 155-mm guns, but also self-propelled tracked platforms. In the French army, an artillery unit is installed on the chassis of a Renault Sherpa 5 6x6 truck, although there are options installed on the Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG 6x6 chassis. Although the cabin at the ACS is armored, the total weight does not exceed 18000 kg. This is consistent with the company's stated requirement to “determine the need for self-propelled artillery, which could be deployed by the expeditionary forces by air.”
155-mm towed gun TRF1, preparation for shooting
The artillery unit is an upgraded version of the 155-mm towed gun TRF1 with a barrel length 52 caliber. For firing at the rear of the unit, a large coulter is lowered hydraulically, with four rear wheels coming off the ground, which provides excellent platform stabilization. The installation has a built-in navigation and guidance system from either SAFRAN or Thales, which is connected to actuators. A Nexter spokesperson confirmed that “the inertial / GPS positioning system, digital fire control and mechanized loading allow the unit to launch six projectiles and withdraw from the position in less than 100 seconds.”
CAESAR is the most common artillery system in the world on a car chassis, bought by Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Indonesia, Thailand and of course France. She was tested in hostilities in Mali, Afghanistan and Iraq. Her CAESAR 2 version on the 8x8 chassis was adopted by Denmark.
Not only France alone maintains the market for self-propelled guns on the automobile chassis, several other countries have developed or are developing mobile artillery systems. For example, the Thai army, which has already bought six CAESAR howitzers, is completing the development of its own platform, an Indian-made Tatra 6xNNXX truck and an Elbit Systems ATMOS 8-mm gun system, received as part of technology transfer. The plans provide for the manufacture of 155 self-propelled howitzers to equip one battalion of the Thai army. The project, announced in April 18, is scheduled to be completed within 2018 months.
The Republic of Korea has increased the combat capabilities of its artillery, while using the existing systems to the maximum, saving the necessary funds for this. The self-propelled howitzer EVO-105 (pictured above), produced by Hanwha Techwin, is a combination of an 105-mm cannon and artillery piece taken from the MXXUMXXXUMX towed howitzer already in service with the Kia KM101 (1XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX) XIUMX-ton XHUMX truck
This significantly increased the mobility of the howitzer, its ability to hold and remove from the position, and also increased the survival rate of the calculation and the platform itself. The system can get a fire mission while driving, stop, shoot back and start moving again within 60 seconds. Thanks to the use of the traditional artillery unit, the South Korean army can fully engage all of its existing ammunition arsenals. In addition, the soldiers are already familiar with this system and trained to work with it. The operational characteristics of the plant are further enhanced by the positioning and guidance system, which is connected to the digital control system. The Ministry of Defense said that the EVO-105 howitzer began to enter the army in the 2017 year, with a total of 800 systems being delivered.
Chinese self-propelled installation: at the top of SH1, at the bottom of SH2
The Chinese company NORINCO is also not lagging behind global trends, having in its portfolio self-propelled howitzers on the chassis of trucks, which are also offered for export. The company offers both 122-mm cannon of Russian origin and 155-mm cannon compatible with NATO standards. The SH1 howitzer is an 155-mm / 52 caliber howitzer on the chassis of a Wanshan WS5252 6x6 serial truck with a modified protected cab. For firing in the rear of the installation, a large opener is lowered. Ammunition is 25 shots, while Pakistan and Myanmar have already bought the howitzer. Recently, a variant of this cannon could also be observed in the 72 artillery brigade of the Chinese army. The X122 SH2 howitzer with a Chinese towed howitzer PL96 (a copy of the Soviet D-30) was used in a similar XNUMX howitzer. Again, the desire to simplify the transfer of self-propelled systems by air had an impact on these developments.
The self-propelled howitzer ARCHER company BAE Bofors is considered one of the most effective self-propelled artillery systems in service. Designed as an independent system from the very beginning, it offers the firepower of a full battery in one weapon system.
The self-propelled howitzer Archer FH77BW L52 of the company BAE Systems Bofors was designed as an independently operating fire-support system of the type “fired and drove away”. The howitzer itself, the accompanying ammunition hauling vehicle and the support machine can increase the autonomy and tactical flexibility of this complex. A fully automatic 30-mm / 6 cal howitzer with a magazine on the 6 shot was installed on the modified Volvo A155D 52x21 commercial chassis. The calculation can stop, shoot for 30 seconds, withdraw from the position and start moving for the next 30 seconds, while the whole process does not require leaving the protected cabin. This is achieved by on-board navigation guidance systems and a fully digital fire control system that allows firing in MRSI mode (“Flurry of Fire” - shooting mode, when several (in our case up to six) projectiles fired from the same gun at different angles, at the same time reach the goal). At present, the Archer howitzer is in service with only the Swedish army.
As a further development of the CAESAR self-propelled howitzer, Nexter recently introduced an improved version on the 8x8 chassis. For CAESAR 2 SAU, a 155-mm / 52 cal howitzer was taken and installed on the Tatra T815-7 8X8 truck chassis, which has an increased level of protection against mines and improvised explosive devices. The loading and firing system is fully automatic, allowing the calculation of a person's 2-3 to make six shots in two minutes. A larger machine with increased off-road maneuverability allowed us to increase the mobile ammunition to 30 shots. In 2017, Denmark chose this system in order to replace its tracked self-propelled guns M109.
Denmark acquired CAESAR howitzer on Tatra truck chassis
Self-propelled unit RUM-II: made in Jordan
The relative simplicity with which a wheeled howitzer on a wheeled chassis can be deployed attracts those countries that wish to modernize their armed forces. This was demonstrated, for example, by the Jordanian company KADDB (King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau - Design Bureau named after King Abdullah II), which presented its RUM-II system at the SOFEX 2018 exhibition. In this case, the combination of the chassis of the truck DAF 6x6 and howitzer М126 155 mm / 23 is implemented. To stabilize the platform used rear opener and two side stops. Self-propelled unit RUM-II is mainly designed to increase the mobility of the gun and is manually operated by the calculation of six people who are placed in the cabin on two indivisible seats.
Indian towed howitzer Dhanush
ATMOS howitzer on Tatra truck chassis
The Indian army is also with its characteristic "activity" implements projects in the field of wheeled artillery systems. The goal of the Mounted Gun System program is to purchase ready-made 155 mm guns with a barrel length of 52 caliber. Initially, 200 systems will be purchased, followed by a further 614 to be manufactured locally. Prospective candidates include CAESAR, ATMOS and the Indian Tata Power SED SPG. An RFQ was issued in early 2018. Within the framework of the project, Nexter Systems signed an agreement to form a consortium with Indian firms Larsen SToubro (L&T) and Ashok Leyland Defense. Israeli Elbit Systems has merged with Indian firm Bharat Forge. Tata's proposal was reportedly developed in collaboration with South African Denel and was first shown in 2012. In April last year, the Indian company Ordnance Factory Board presented a new version of the Dhanush towed howitzer, which could meet the country's needs for a mobile artillery installation. In November 2014, the Indian Defense Procurement Council approved $ 2,5 billion for 814 artillery systems per truck chassis.
The Hawkeye self-propelled howitzer is a 105-mm M20 cannon with a special anti-rollback system mounted on a light HMMWV armored car.
The creation of self-propelled howitzers, which could be delivered directly with the airborne assault force, is a nontrivial task, since there are a lot of problems associated with capacity, dimensions, subsequent logistics, etc. As a result, the airborne units mainly engage towed guns (the US Army, for example, uses 119 mm 105 howitzer and 777 mm 155 mm M105), whose mobility, as already noted, is insufficient. Mandus Group, in collaboration with AM General, offers a solution that is an 1152-mm howitzer mounted on an M1A2w / B47 HMMWV armored vehicle. In this system, the principle of operation of the tool with the roll-out of the barrel is used; four quickly deployable hydraulic stabilizers (two in front and two in the rear of the platform) ensure the stability of the platform. The digital fire control system allows Hawkeye howitzer to get a fire mission on the go and prepare for opening fire in seconds. A representative from AM General explained that “Hawkeye’s unique underride system allows you to fire from a HMMWV light vehicle. The system weighs little enough to be transported on the suspension of the CH-105 helicopter. Installation after a fire request is immediately ready for action. The mobility of the HMMWV chassis allows the system to remain in the same combat formations with light infantry and move easily in order to avoid counter-battery fire. Gun is served by the calculation by hand and can fire all types of 1-mm ammunition, standing in the US Army arsenal, including missiles M760 and M60, smoke M60 / M2A193, high-explosive fragmentation (PF) active-reactive M314, lighting M1130 and PF M1AXNUMX with ready striking elements. The US Army at the beginning of last year conducted a demonstration of Hawkeye howitzer.
ACS on the Super Stallion chassis (wheel formula 6х6) manufactured by Ashok Leyland
Artillery on the chassis of wheeled vehicles provides a high level of tactical mobility, which in vehicles in the 8x8 configuration almost corresponds to the mobility of tracked artillery systems. Having an increased range, at least. 155-mm guns, you can perform fire tasks without the need to engage tracked chassis with higher maneuverability.
On the materials of the sites:
www.nationaldefensemagazine.org
www.nexter-group.fr
www.norinco.com
www.mandusgroup.com
www.baesystems.com
www.hanwhatechwin.com
elbitsystems.com
www.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
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