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The Panzerhaubitze 2000 ("Armoured howitzer 2000"), abbreviated PzH 2000, is a German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 155mm self-propelled howitzer
Self-propelled artillery

File:M109A6 Paladin UTARNG 2004 firing.jpgFile:PzH2000 houwitser.pngFile:2s19 armyrecognition russia 012.jpgSelf-propelled artillery vehicles are a way of giving mobility to artillery....
 developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
Krauss-Maffei

The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Germany....
 (KMW) and Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall

Rheinmetall Aktiengesellschaft is a Germany automotive and defense industry company with factories in D?sseldorf, Kassel and Unterl??.It was founded on 13th April 1889 by Heinrich Ehrhardt, with help from a consortium of banks, as Rheinische Metallwaren- und Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft....
 for the German Army
German Army

The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Traditionally the German military forces have been composed of the Army, the Deutsche Marine, and an Luftwaffe after World War I....
. The PzH 2000 is one of the most powerful conventional artillery systems currently deployed. It is particularly notable for a very high rate of fire; in burst mode it can fire three rounds in 9 seconds, ten rounds in 56 seconds, and can fire between 10 and 13 rounds per minute continuously, depending on barrel heating.






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The Panzerhaubitze 2000 ("Armoured howitzer 2000"), abbreviated PzH 2000, is a German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 155mm self-propelled howitzer
Self-propelled artillery

File:M109A6 Paladin UTARNG 2004 firing.jpgFile:PzH2000 houwitser.pngFile:2s19 armyrecognition russia 012.jpgSelf-propelled artillery vehicles are a way of giving mobility to artillery....
 developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
Krauss-Maffei

The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Germany....
 (KMW) and Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall

Rheinmetall Aktiengesellschaft is a Germany automotive and defense industry company with factories in D?sseldorf, Kassel and Unterl??.It was founded on 13th April 1889 by Heinrich Ehrhardt, with help from a consortium of banks, as Rheinische Metallwaren- und Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft....
 for the German Army
German Army

The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Traditionally the German military forces have been composed of the Army, the Deutsche Marine, and an Luftwaffe after World War I....
. The PzH 2000 is one of the most powerful conventional artillery systems currently deployed. It is particularly notable for a very high rate of fire; in burst mode it can fire three rounds in 9 seconds, ten rounds in 56 seconds, and can fire between 10 and 13 rounds per minute continuously, depending on barrel heating. The replenishment of shells is automated. Two operators can load 60 shells and propelling charges in less than 12 minutes. PzH 2000 has also been selected by the armies of Italy
Italian Army

The Italian Army is the ground defense force of the Military of Italy. On July 29, 2004 it became a professional all-volunteer force of 112,000 active duty personnel....
, Netherlands
Royal Netherlands Army

The Royal Netherlands Army is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands. The core fighting element of the army is divided into three separate brigades: two mechanised brigades and one airborne brigade....
 and Greece
Hellenic Army

The Hellenic Army is the land force of Greece. The Army of the modern nation of Greece has a history of nearly 190 years and came to its present form, gradually through those years....
, and more orders are probable as many NATO forces replace their M109 howitzer
M109 howitzer

The M109 is an United States-made Self-propelled artillery 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It has been continually upgraded and improved to today's current version, the M109A6 Paladin, currently only used by the United States Army....
s.

Development

In 1986 Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, and Germany
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
, agreed to terminate their existing development of the PzH 155-1 (SP70
SP70

SP70 Self propelled gun a project by several European nations including UK, Germany and Italy beginning in 1973. The project was shelved in favour of the US M109 which was already in service....
) program, which had run into reliability problems and had design defects, notably being mounted on a modified tank chassis. A new Joint Ballistics Memorandum of Understanding (JBMOU) for a 52 calibre barrel (based on a UK proposal) to replace 39 calibre was nearing agreement. German industry was asked for proposals to build a new design with gun conforming to the JBMOU. Of the proposed designs, Wegmann's was selected.

Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall

Rheinmetall Aktiengesellschaft is a Germany automotive and defense industry company with factories in D?sseldorf, Kassel and Unterl??.It was founded on 13th April 1889 by Heinrich Ehrhardt, with help from a consortium of banks, as Rheinische Metallwaren- und Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft....
 designed the 155mm 52-calibre JBMOU compliant gun, which is chromium-lined for its entire 8 metre length and includes a muzzle brake
Muzzle brake

Muzzle brakes and recoil compensators are devices that are fitted to the firearm muzzle of a firearm or cannon to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire....
 on the end. The gun uses a new modular charge system with six charges (five identical), which can be combined to provide the optimal total charge for the range to the target. Primer is loaded separately via a conveyor belt, and the entire loading, laying and clearing is completely automated. The maximum range of the gun is 30km with the standard L15A2 round (a UK design for FH-70
FH-70

The FH-70 is a towed howitzer in use with several nations....
 and stockpiled by Germany for M109G and FH70), about 35km with base bleed
Base bleed

Base bleed is a system used on some artillery shells to increase their range, typically by about 30%.Most of the drag on an artillery shell comes from the nose of the shell, as it pushes the air out of its way at supersonic speeds....
 rounds, and at least 40km with assisted projectiles. In April 2006 a PzH 2000 shot assisted shells (Denel
Denel

Denel Ltd is a South African government dominated Military-industrial complex and technological conglomerate established in 1991. It was created when the manufacturing subsidiary of Armscor were split from Armscor in order for Armscor to be solely the procurement arm of the South African Defence Force , now known as the South African Nati...
 V-Lap) over a distance of 56km with a probable maximum range of over 60km. This gun has a MRSI
Artillery

Artillery is a military Combat Arms which employs any apparatus, machine, an assortment of tools or instruments, a system or systems used as weapons for the discharge of large projectiles in combat as a major contribution of fire power within the overall military capability of an armed force....
 capability, with five round simultaneous strikes.

Wegmann supplied both the chassis, sharing some components with the Leopard 1
Leopard tank

The Leopard is a tank designed and produced in Germany that first entered service in 1965. It was used as the main battle tank by over a dozen countries worldwide....
, and the turret for the gun. The system has superb cross-country performance and considerable protection in the case of counter-fire. The turret includes a phased array
Phased array

This article is about general theory and electromagnetic phased array.'For the ultrasonic and medical imaging application, see phased array ultrasonics....
 radar
Radar

Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic radiation waves to identify the range, altitude, direction, or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as aircraft, ships, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain....
 on the front glacis for measuring the muzzle velocity of each round fired. Laying data can be automatically provided via encrypted radio from the battery fire direction centre. A crew of three was needed for full operation, commander, layer and driver.

Wegman eventually won a contract in 1996 for 185 to be delivered to Germany's rapid reaction force, followed by another 410 for the main force. Wegmann and Krauss-Maffei
Krauss-Maffei

The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG or simply Krauss-Maffei is an injection molding machine manufacturer and defence company based in Germany....
, the two main German military tracked vehicle designers, merged in 1998.

A number of armies have tested the system and its ability to provide accurate fire at 40km has been a major selling point.

The PzH 2000 was considered for the US Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
's Crusader
XM2001 Crusader

The XM2001 Crusader was to be the United States Army's next-generation Self-propelled artillery howitzer , designed to improve survivability, lethality, mobility, and effectiveness and planned to be introduced by 2008....
 concept system, but several requirements of the Crusader made it unsuitable. In particular the Crusader placed the crew and gun in separate compartments.

Currently the only 155mm 52-calibre self-propelled howitzer comparable to the PzH 2000 is the Polish Haubicoarmata "Krab" (eng.Howitzer-cannon Crab) which uses a Polish carriage and British AS-90
AS-90

The AS-90 is a lightly-armoured self-propelled artillery used by the British Army. It was first delivered in 1993.The AS90 is used by five regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Artillery: 1 RHA, 3 RHA, 4 Regt RA, 19 Regt RA and 26 Regt RA, replacing the 105 mm FV433 Abbot SPG, the M109 howitzer 155 mm SPG or the FH-70 155 mm tow...
 turret fitted with a BAE Systems 52 calibre barrel. Currently 2 prototypes have been produced with serial production expected to begin in the near future.

Pzh2000

Combat Record and Alterations

The PzH 2000 was used for the first time in combat by the Dutch Army
Royal Netherlands Army

The Royal Netherlands Army is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands. The core fighting element of the army is divided into three separate brigades: two mechanised brigades and one airborne brigade....
 in August 2006 against Taliban targets in Kandahar Province
Kandahar Province

Kandahar or Qandahar is one of the largest of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in southern Afghanistan, between Helamand Province, Oruzgan Province and Zabul Province provinces....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
, in support of Operation Medusa
Operation Medusa

Operation Medusa was a Canadian-led offensive by major elements of the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan National Army that began on September 2, 2006 as part of the War in Afghanistan ....
. Since then it has been used regularly in support of coalition troops in Uruzgan province, also in Afghanistan. The PzH 2000 was also used extensively during the Battle of Chora
Battle of Chora

The Battle of Chora took place in and around the town of Chora , in Afghanistan's Oruzgan Province, between June 15 and June 19, 2007. The fighting was between International Security Assistance Force and Afghan forces on one side and Taliban forces on the other for the control of the Chora District center, regarded by the Taliban as a tactica...
. It is known as "the long arm of ISAF". The gun has been criticised by the Dutch in Uruzgan province as the NBC system designed for use in Europe cannot cope with the high level of dust in Afghanistan. The guns have been nicknamed the 'beasts of Tarin Kowt' by the Taliban. The guns have been modified with additional armor being fitted to the roof to protect against mortar rounds. There have been other reports of problems including the need to keep it in the shade unless actually firing, the damage it does to poorly built roads and a significant 'cold gun' effect necessitating the use of 'warmers'.

General Statistics


General Characteristics

  • Crew: 5 (commander, driver, gunner, 2 loaders)
  • Length: 11.7 meters (38.4 feet)
  • Width: 3.6 meters (11.8 feet)
  • Height: 3.1 meters (10.2 feet)
  • Unit cost: US$4.45 million
  • Combat weight: 55.3 tons

Armament

  • Primary: Rheinmetall
    Rheinmetall

    Rheinmetall Aktiengesellschaft is a Germany automotive and defense industry company with factories in D?sseldorf, Kassel and Unterl??.It was founded on 13th April 1889 by Heinrich Ehrhardt, with help from a consortium of banks, as Rheinische Metallwaren- und Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft....
     155 mm L52 Artillery Gun
    • Rate of fire: 3 rounds per 10 seconds, 8 rounds per minute, 20 rounds per 3 minutes
    • Range (of the artillery fire): 40 km (25 miles), 56 km (34 miles) with rocket-assisted projectile
      Rocket Assisted Projectile

      A Rocket Assisted Projectile is an artillery or cannon round incorporating a rocket motor for independent propulsion. This grants the projectile both greater speed and range than an ordinary shell, which is propelled only by the Ballistics force of the gun's exploding charge....
  • Magazine: 60 rounds
  • Secondary: Rheinmetall
    Rheinmetall

    Rheinmetall Aktiengesellschaft is a Germany automotive and defense industry company with factories in D?sseldorf, Kassel and Unterl??.It was founded on 13th April 1889 by Heinrich Ehrhardt, with help from a consortium of banks, as Rheinische Metallwaren- und Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft....
     MG3 - 7.62 × 51 mm co-axial
    Coaxial weapon

    A coaxial weapon is a weapon system that is mounted side-by-side with the main weapon system, usually on a tank.Nearly all main battle tanks have a coaxial machine gun mounted to fire along a parallel axis to the main gun....
     machine gun


Mobility

  • Engine: MTU 881 Ka-500
    • Power: 986 hp (736kW)
    • Power/weight: 17.83 hp/ton
  • Top speed
    • On-road: 60 km/h (37 mph)
    • Off-road: 45 km/h (28 mph)
  • Range (of the vehicle): 420 km (261 miles)
  • Fuel Economy: 240 L/100 km


Operators

  • : 185 (to be reduced to 154. 31 will be kept in storage for possible conversion to AGM mobile artillery module)
  • : 70
  • : 57 (number of surplus for sale)
  • : 24


External links