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howitzer

Another thing to consider is that when India pursued a new SPH requirement they were looking to buy just the turrets and use them on modified T72 chassis.

I'm certain I've seen a French GCT AUF1 turret being used like that.
 
ASIA PACIFIC , CHINA OFFERS COMPLETE ARTILLERY PACKAGE

JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY

DATE: 20-May-1998

Christopher F Foss
London

TEXT:


China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO) has revealed that it is
offering a complete artillery package based on its 155mm/45 calibre
PLZ45 self-propelled artillery system. The Kuwait Land Forces has
confirmed that it is the first export customer for the PLZ45 (Jane's
Defence Weekly 8 April).

As well as the PLZ45, the package also includes an ammunition
resupply vehicle based on the same tracked chassis, forward
observation vehicle on tracked or wheeled chassis, battalion/battery
command post vehicle on a YW 534 full-tracked armoured personnel
carrier chassis, artillery location and fire-correction radar on a
6 x 6 chassis, meteorological radar on a 6 x 6 chassis and a Type
653 armoured recovery vehicle (ARV), based on a Type 69 tank
chassis, with the crane uprated to 20 tonnes.

The PLZ45 has a maximum range of 39km, firing an extended range full
bore base bleed (ERFB-BB) projectile, or 30km firing a standard ERFB
projectile. The on-board fire-control system includes an automatic
gun-laying system, optical sights, navigation system and a Global
Position System receiver.

The ammunition supply vehicle is almost identical in concept to the
US United Defense LP M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle
(FAASV) which has been in service with the US Army for some years.
The similar Chinese vehicle carries 90 projectiles and associated
charges, which are fed to the PLZ45 via a conveyor belt at a rate of
eight rds/min. Standard equipment includes an auxiliary power unit
and a crane for loading pallets of ammunition through the roof.
It is not certain whether the Kuwait Land Forces ordered the
complete PLZ45 artillery system or only howitzers. The US government
letter of offer to Kuwait for 48 155mm/39 calibre M109A6 Paladin
self-propelled artillery systems included support vehicles such as
FAASV and ARVs, radars and a meteorological system.

A total of 64 of the latest M992A2 FAASV were included in the
package. These could be for the M109A6 as well as the PZL45 or to
supply the survivors of the 39 M109 series howitzers delivered
before the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
 
EUROPE
Date Posted: 11-Jul-2002

JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY - JULY 17, 2002


Turkey gets first six Panter howitzers

LALE SARIIBRAHIMOGLU JDW Correspondent
Ankara

The Turkish Army has received its first battery of six Panter 155mm/52-cal towed howitzers manufactured by Turkey's state-owned Machines and Chemical Industry Board (MKEK).

Turkey unveiled a prototype 155mm/52-cal towed howitzer, with a range of 40km, in May 2000 (Jane's Defence Weekly 15 May). Singapore Technologies Kinetics assisted MKEK in developing the weapon.

The first production weapons were turned over to the 105th Artillery Regiment during a ceremony at 1011th Ordnance Factory in Ankara. Turkish Army Chief of Staff Gen Hüseyin Kivrikoglu said that the Panter is the first artillery gun developed indigenously in Turkey.

"The bitter experience that we went through in the past has taught us the very close link between the acquisition of arms and systems through national resources in order to enable the Turkish Armed Forces to fulfil its duties in the best possible way," said Gen Kivrikoglu. "The development of the national defence industry to produce its own weapons not only contributes to the modernisation of our armed forces through national resources but also contributes to the economy creating employment while helping to reduce the amount of foreign exchange paid abroad for the purchase of arms."

"To meet this goal, we also enter into co-operation with third countries," he said. "The Panter howitzer is the product of research and development conducted by Turkish engineers. Thus the licence and the technical information package of Panter belongs to Turkey."

The Panter will replace some of the army's 500-plus M114 155mm howitzers, which have a range of only 14.6km firing standard high-explosive projectiles. Another 18 Panters are in production at MKEK's Cankiri facilities. Turkish Land Forces Command sources would not specify the number of Panters the army requires.

As part of the army's twin-track artillery modernisation programme, MKEK plans to deliver the first battery of eight Firtina 155mm/52-cal tracked self-propelled howitzers at the end of the year. MKEK has been developing the Firtina with support from Samsung Techwin of South Korea. Samsung has indicated that it could supply components for more than 300 weapons over the next 10 years (JDW 1 August 2001).

One of the Panters was fitted with the BAIKS- 2000 Field Artillery Battery Fire Direction System developed by Turkey's Aselsan. The system is intended to improve the employment, including first-round-hit capability, of both towed and self-propelled artillery units.

The system can be easily configured to support different unit organisations such as batteries of four, six or eight guns or batteries divided into sub-units of two, three or four guns.

Panter 155mm/52-cal howitzer specifications
Combat Weight 14.5t
Length 10.5m
Width 2.8m
Height 3.1m
Crew 5
Ammunition loading semi-automatic
Rate of Fire
-Burst 3rds/15s
-Intense 4rds/min
-Sustained 2rds/min
Arc of Fire
-Elevation +70/-3º
-Traverse +17º
Range
-M107 (HE) 18km
-M549A1/RAP(HE) 30km
-ERFB/BB (HE) 40km+
Engine 160hp
Speed
-Towed 60km/h
-With auxiliary propulsion unit 18km/h
Gradient 45%
Climbing 0.3m
Cruising Range 200km
Source: MKEK
 
why pak army is very lack luster to make a deal with china for PLZ
 

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