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German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The RCH 155 (Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 mm) is a wheeled self-propelled howitzer developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (now known as KNDS Deutschland), a German defence company.
RCH 155 | |
---|---|
![]() RCH 155 in the field | |
Type | Self-propelled artillery |
Place of origin | Germany |
Service history | |
Used by | See operators below |
Production history | |
Designer | Krauss-Maffei Wegmann |
Designed | 2014–2024 |
Manufacturer | Krauss-Maffei Wegmann |
Unit cost | €12 million [note 1] |
Produced | Since 2022 |
Specifications | |
Mass | <39.0 t |
Length | 10.40 m (34 ft 1 in) |
Width | 2.99 m (9 ft 10 in) |
Height | 3.60 m (10 ft) |
Crew | 2 (commander and driver) |
Caliber | 155 mm caliber L/52 |
Elevation | -2.5° to + 65° |
Traverse | 360° (with up to 6 modular charges) |
Rate of fire | Up to 9 rounds per minute |
Effective firing range | 40 km base bleed round 54 km V-LAP (Velocity-enhanced Long-range Artillery Projectile) |
Main armament | Rheinmetall artillery gun |
Secondary armament | Optional remote-controlled weapon station |
Engine | MTU 8V199 TE21 Up to 816 hp (600 kW) |
Power/weight | 20.9 hp/t (20 kW/t) at maximum weight |
Payload capacity | 30 fused rounds |
Suspension | Double-wishbone coil springs and shock absorber |
Operational range | 700 km (400 mi) (road) |
Maximum speed | 103 km/h (60 mph) (road) |
The RCH 155 Module takes the firepower and the range of the PzH 2000 by using its gun (155 mm L/52), and combines it with an automated and remotely controlled gun module.
The intention of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann with this system was to create the ideal combination of artillery automation and protected wheeled mobility.[2]
The RCH-155 module is very similar to the Artillery Gun Module (AGM, Artillerie-Geschütz-Modul), but has a lower profile.[3] The AGM was designed to have the firepower of the PzH 2000 in an air-portable package with the A400M aircraft this was possible when installed on an ASCOD-2 platform (known as the DONAR).
In 2014 with interest in installing the AGM on the Boxer,[4] questions arose regarding its capacity to meet this requirement. KMW produced a modified variant of the AGM in 2021, the RCH 155. The RCH 155 has a turret with a significantly lower profile.[3][5] As of 2024, two variants of the RCH 155 exist, one installed on the Boxer, and another installed on the Mowag Piranha IV 10×10.[5]
The RCH 155 features a crew of two, commander and driver. They are protected against fire from heavy machine guns up to 14.5 mm and artillery fragments. There is also protection against anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. The system is equipped with an (optional) secondary weapon station, a smoke grenade launcher and an NBC protection and ventilation system.
The combat load is 30 projectiles with fuze and 144 modular propellants. The fuze programming is inductive during the loading process. The cadence is 9 rounds per minute.
The RCH 155 is capable of firing basically[clarification needed] all 155 mm projectiles compatible with the Joint Ballistics Memorandum of Understanding (JBMOU) of NATO. The range is up to 40 kilometres for base-bleeds, up to 54 kilometres for Extended-Range Full-Bore shells (V-LAP shells), and further for Vulcano and M982 Excalibur.
The Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impacts (MRSI) mode of operation is possible. In this mode, the trajectories and times of the projectiles are modified by elevation of the barrel and number of propellant charges in such a way that several shots fired in succession hit the target almost simultaneously in order to achieve the greatest possible effect before the enemy can take evasive action.
The gun turret's aiming range is 360 degrees (maximum to the 6th propellant charge module) and the barrel elevation is -2.5 to + 65 degrees. The ground clearance is 0.5 metres, the turning radius is 21 metres, the maximum climb is 0.7 metres, the ditch crossing ability is 2.0 metres, the maximum fording depth is 1.2 metres, the maximum gradeability is 60 percent and the highest cross slope is 30 percent.[6] RCH 155 is powered by a diesel engine of the type 8V 199TE20/21 made by MTU Friedrichshafen. The on-board voltage is 24 volts at a maximum of 540 amps.[7]
The RCH 155 is the world's first howitzer that can fire while in motion.[8] This is mainly to avoid enemy counter-artillery fire, as modern counter-battery radars such as COBRA can be used to reconnoitre fire positions after firing in near real-time.
In addition, RCH 155 has the so-called hunter-killer capability, which otherwise only main battle tank and infantry fighting vehicle are capable of. The fire order and the search for the next target can be carried out in parallel. This capability of the RCH 155 is for self-defence, not the actual artillery mission.[9][clarification needed]
RCH 155 is highly automated and designed to later[clarification needed] drive and shoot remotely and without requiring a crew.
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