Big Guns (Self-propelled artillery system in modern terms)
March 3, 2014



CAESAR artillery system from Nexter can be mounted on a variety of truck chassis. Its customers are France, Saudi Arabia and Thailand

Mobile artillery systems still play an important role on the battlefield, despite the use of drones and other advanced systems and technologies.

Traditionally, self-propelled artillery systems were mounted on tracked chassis, but a growing number of people are now put into service wheel variants, having better strategic mobility and lower cost of the life cycle.

Some operators, including France, Norway and Sweden, have already decided to replace their existing tracked and towed artillery systems to the wheel options. However, it is expected that the crawler system for many years to remain in service, because the majority of users upgrade their systems in order to increase their lifetime.

The latest self-propelled artillery system (ACS) usually have on-board computerized fire control system (FCS), which includes land navigation system, which allows to carry out their own fire missions, and deployed as part of battery or battalion.

In addition to firing conventional ammunition, such as high-explosive, smoke and lighting, in some countries there is a tendency to be armed with more accurate artillery ammunition. Investment rather directed to the purchase of new and improved tools munitions guidance and tracking of targets than to new platforms.

Suitable artillery

Type artillery systems deployed in combat, depends on the type of terrain and destroyed set goals.

In Afghanistan, for example, towed artillery and mortars are more widespread than the tracked self-propelled weapons, because they can be quickly delivered by helicopter. The Dutch army has deployed several howitzers crawler Krauss-Maffei Wegmann PzH 2000 in Afghanistan, which has now been replaced howitzers German army, while the French army deployed its wheeled howitzer CAESAR in Afghanistan and northern Lebanon.

In connection with the increased attention to the wheeled platform, the number of commercially produced and offered to the market fully tracked ACS has decreased dramatically over the past ten years.

System PLZ45 155 mm/45 cal development of the Chinese North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) is used by the Chinese army, it was exported to at least two countries - Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Maximum range depends on the combination of the projectile / charge, but usually is 39 km by firing the projectile caliber extended range with bottom gasifier (ERFB-BB). To support PLZ45 was developed and installed in the production of transport and loading vehicle PCZ45; she can carry an additional 90 155-mm projectiles and charges which may be filed with the fast artillery installation PLZ45.

The newest tracked artillery system NORINCO PLZ52, armed with 155 mm/52 cal gun features a new body and has a total weight of 43 tonnes against 33 tonnes in the original PLZ45.

PzH 2000 now replaced obsolete tracked ACS, operated by the German army. 155 mm/52 caliber gun mounted in the tower at the rear of the housing; hover tower can quickly be rotated 360 °. Ammunition Ammo is 60 pieces of 155-mm projectiles and charges.

Approximately 185 howitzers PzH 2000 were made for the German army to export to Greece (24), Italy (70) and the Netherlands (57). The production is completed, but can be re-started. As a result of restructuring in the Netherlands there was a few extra systems.


Production of 155-mm howitzers KMW PzH completed in 2000, but can be renewed if necessary



155 mm/52 cal gun Artillery Gun Module (AGM) of the company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann

Questions mobility

Despite the fact that 2000 is a very PzH effective 155-mm self-propelled guns, she and her 55 tons too heavy for rapid deployment. For this reason, the company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has developed the initiative to 155 mm/52 cal gun Artillery Gun Module (AGM), its first copy was made in 1994. AGM - it is remotely operated turret armed with the same gun installation Rheinmetall 155 mm/52 caliber howitzer and PzH 2000 and equipped with a fully automated ammunition handling system, which charges the first round and then charge shall be sent modular MCS (Modular Charge System).

Ammunition Ammo is 30 155-mm shells plus charges MCS; maximum rate of the gun can be 8 rounds per minute, with all the functions of guidance and loading are performed remotely. The first copy of AGM has been set to the reserve MLRS chassis and had a combat weight of 30 tons.



ACS Donar


Further development led to the ACS Donar, which is essentially the AGM, as set out in the special case based on BMP Pizarro, developed by General Dynamics Land Systems Europe - Santa Bárbara Sistemas.


155-mm self-propelled guns Iranian Raad-2

Iran has developed and begun to produce, at least two fully tracked self-propelled artillery system, Raad-2 155 mm and Raad-1 122 mm, the latter has a similar tower with tower mounted on widespread Russian 122-mm 2S1 Carnation.

Division of Samsung Techwin on defense programs manufactured under license from 1040 self-propelled 155 mm/39 cal installations M109A2 BAE Systems, they still are armed Korean army.


155 mm/52 cal K9 Thunder self-propelled guns are armed Korean army

These settings are now supplemented 155-mm/52 caliber SAU K9 Thunder, which has a total weight of 46.3 tons and installed in the tower 152 mm/52 cal instrument equipped with automatic ammunition handling system, and the charges are loaded manually. Just 48 includes ammunition shells and charges. The Turkish army is also is used by the K9 Thunder howitzers option of local production called Firtina.



BAE Systems AS90 - only crawlers British Royal Artillery, which is typically deployed in six divisions systems

Russian exports

ACS latest set at the Russian Army, is 152 mm 2S19 exported to several countries. Was developed and tested option 155-mm/52 caliber gun armed western standard, designated 2S19M1.

Singapore many years was self-sufficient in artillery systems. ST Kinetics company from this country developed caterpillar SAU Primus 155 mm/39 cal, was allegedly received a total of 54 systems.

Today, the British army operates only tracked system AS90 from BAE Systems (formerly Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering) with 155 mm/39 cal instrument, which is usually deployed in divisions of six guns. Total was delivered 179 systems, but are currently in service with a total of 132 howitzers, the system no longer is marketed by BAE Systems. AS90 tower with 155-mm gun used for ACS Krab, developed in Poland for the Polish army.

The U.S. Army took delivery systems 975 155 mm/39 cal M109A6 Paladin from BAE Systems and the correct number of transport-charging machines M992 FAASV (Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle), based on a modified housing M109. This couple had to replace a modern 155-mm self-propelled guns Crusader and the appropriate transport and loading vehicle (TLV), but later they were deemed too heavy and replacement has been canceled.

ACS M109A6 Paladin (above). Transport-loading machine M992 FAASV (bottom)




The newest 155 mm/39 cal SAU M109A6 Paladin Integrated Management


Within canceled currently Future Combat Systems program was developed self-propelled gun 155 mm/38 cal NLOSC, which was also canceled. M109A6 Paladin will be replaced by the modernized M109A6 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM), the company BAE Systems has already produced five prototype M109A6 PIM ACS and two TRV FAASV. ACS consists of a new building, which includes components of BMP Bradley, and a modified tower of M109A6 Paladin which left 155 mm/39 cal gun.

When you open the funding is expected that approximately 440 ACS M109A6 Paladin PIM will be purchased by the U.S. Army, the decision on the initial production should be made in late 2013 or early 2014.

The changing trend

Over the past few years there has been a tendency to create, develop and manufacture wheel ACS. Compared with their counterparts tracked they offer significant advantages to the end user - the traditional ACS usually require carriers to deploy heavy weapons over long distances, whereas wheel system can be deployed independently. Today, ACS wheel can vary from heavy well-protected systems to lighter aviatransportiruemyh, usually with a cabin and weapons installed on unprotected installation in the rear of the chassis. They are usually equipped with stabilizers-openers, which fall to the ground before opening fire, the majority of systems are also equipped with a hydraulic rammer to reduce crew fatigue and increase the rate of fire.

However, these wheel ACS have some disadvantages compared to their counterparts tracked, including the worst patency and reduced ammunition Ammunition ready shots.

NORINCO is now on the market is the largest family of wheeled SG in the world, including the most powerful system SH1 155 mm/52 caliber on chassis 6x6 terrain with fully secure the front cabin. Angle horizontal guidance 155mm guns is 20 °, the angles of vertical guidance range from -3 to +70 °. Stated maximum range when shooting caliber projectile extended range with bottom gasifier - 41 km, the ammunition is 20 rounds and 20 charges. It is clear that ACS SH1 is used by the Chinese army, and quite possibly it was exported to Myanmar.

The company also promotes NORINCO 122 mm self-propelled guns SH2, which has secured a four-door cab and gun mounts in the rear. Corners of the horizontal and vertical guidance of which are respectively 22,5 ° and from 0 ° to +70 °.



122-mm self-propelled guns from company NORINCO SH2


The same types

Needless 122-mm gun in this setting is the same as in Chinese towed artillery systems Type 86 (the Russian version of the D-30), not to mention the numerous obsolete Chinese caterpillar engines.

The Chinese army is also armed with 122-mm self-propelled guns Type 86, which markets a company Poly Technologies. It is a fairly typical system consisting of a 6x6 truck chassis with installed unprotected cabin front and upper part of the standard Type 86 towed howitzers in the rear. Before shooting each side fall openers, while gun can only shoot over the rear of the chassis.

The export market is aimed 105mm SG SH5 6x6, it has a similar arrangement with 122mm SH2, but installed on a slightly different chassis, which has front and rear steerable wheels. Cannon 105mm / 37 cal shooting at American high-explosive ordnance M1 has a maximum range 12 km, which can be increased to 18 km using a shell with a bottom gasifier, Ammunition Ammo is 40 shots.




CAESAR in Afghanistan

Nexter company has developed its own initiative CAESAR artillery system 155 mm/52 cal, its first prototype technology was first demonstrated in 1994. 155 mm/52 cal gun mounted in the rear of the chassis, after deployment to shooting position in azimuth angle is 17 °, vertical angle from -3 to +66 °. Maximum range when shooting caliber projectile extended range reaches 42 km, ammunition consists of 18 155-mm shells and related charges, ready to fire.