SSPH Primus
Encyclopedia
The Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer 1 (SSPH 1) Primus is a self-propelled howitzer armed with a 155 mm howitzer
. Developed jointly by the Singapore Armed Forces
(SAF), Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and Singapore Technologies Kinetics
(ST Kinetics), it was introduced to the Singapore
Artillery in 2004. Primus is derived from the motto of the Singapore Artillery In Oriente Primus (Latin
: "First in the East").
The decision to develop the Primus was made after a market survey in 1995 and 1996 of some of the world's best self propelled guns from the United States (M109 Paladin), Britain (AS90 Braveheart
), Japan (Type 75
) and Russia (2S3M1) found them either too heavy or too wide for local terrain. They were known to have a lot of fire power, were highly mobile and very survivable but they were also very heavy, mostly in the range of 50 tons, and the SAF needed something lighter. The SAF needed the Primus to weigh less than 30 tons and be no wider than 3 metres, for it to move across bridges and through the local vegetation. Hence the decision was made to develop a completely new self-propelled howitzer.
Leveraging on its experience with designing, developing and producing various towed artillery systems (the FH-88
and FH-2000
) for the SAF, ST Kinetics, together with DSTA began the development of the Primus in earnest in 1996.
By April 2000, the first working prototype was rolled out, using a vehicle chassis adapted from a United Defense
armoured chassis (the Universal Combat Vehicle Platform; UCVP) which includes components from the US M109 Paladin howitzer, M2 Bradley
IFV & M8-AGS
. The next 2 years saw the system undergo a series of comprehensive tests to ensure that the Primus was able to withstand the rigours that were required of it. As land in Singapore is scarce, firing tests were first done at the Waiouru Army Camp
live-firing range in New Zealand
as part of Exercise Thunder Warrior in February 2004. The guns have also participated in Exercise Wallaby at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area
in Queensland
, Australia
.
In September 2002, the Primus was officially certified to have met the SAF’s stringent criteria, and then being formally adopted into the SAF.
The chassis is based on the proven United Defense M109 155 mm self propelled howitzer. This has been upgraded in a number of key areas and has a new power pack similar to that fitted to ST Kinetics Bionix infantry fighting vehicle
(IFV), which is already in SAF service. The use of common subsystems for the Primus and Bionix IFV offers several advantages, including easier training and reduced logistics.
The Primus power pack consists of a Detroit Diesel Corporation 6V 92TIA
diesel engine developing 550 hp coupled to a General Dynamics
Land Systems HMPT-500-3EC fully automatic transmission.
The maximum road speed of the Primus is 50 km/h, with an operating range of 350 km, its combat weight is of 28.3 tons allows it to use the SAF 's current military bridging systems. The Primus could be deployed by the future Airbus A400M
Transport aircraft.
The turret is fitted with a locally developed 155 mm/39-cal barrel with a muzzle brake and fume extractor. This meets the NATO Joint Ballistics Memorandum of Understanding. The range of the Primus' gun would depend on the type of projectile and charge combination used, but is probably about 19 km with the old M107
high explosive (HE) projectile and 30 km (18.6 mi) with an extended range full bore base bleed projectile. In addition to smoke, HE and illumination projectiles, the locally developed 155 mm cargo round can also be fired.
A semi-automatic loading system is provided to increase the rate of fire and reduce crew fatigue. The fused projectiles are loaded and rammed automatically; the modular charges are loaded manually. The Primus has a burst rate of fire of three rounds in 20 seconds and a maximum rate of fire of 6 rounds per min. The bustle mounted magazine holds up to 22 rounds of 155 mm projectile.
The digital fire control system automates the complete projectile loading process and gun laying operation. An ammunition inventory management system keeps track of all on board ammunition as well as ammunition expenditure during firing. The weapon is laid to the target using an automatic fire control system, which includes an on board positioning and navigation system. This can receive target information from the battery or regimental command post. It takes less than 60 seconds to come into action and open fire and 40 seconds to re-deploy.
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
. Developed jointly by the Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
(SAF), Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and Singapore Technologies Kinetics
Singapore Technologies Kinetics
ST Kinetics is the land systems and specialty vehicles arm of ST Engineering. In 2000, ST Engineering acquired the Chartered Industries of Singapore through ST Automotive, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, and the new company was named ST Kinetics...
(ST Kinetics), it was introduced to the Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
Artillery in 2004. Primus is derived from the motto of the Singapore Artillery In Oriente Primus (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: "First in the East").
Production History and Development
The idea for a self-propelled howitzer within the SAF was developed in the early 1990s, with the aim of providing better fire support to the armour brigades in the Combined Arms Divisions. This new weapon system would require the ability to keep pace with the high tempo of armoured operations, while providing the range, firepower and accuracy that the artillery is renowned for. The 155mm self-propelled howitzer was seen as the obvious choice.The decision to develop the Primus was made after a market survey in 1995 and 1996 of some of the world's best self propelled guns from the United States (M109 Paladin), Britain (AS90 Braveheart
AS-90
The AS-90 is a lightly armoured self-propelled artillery piece used by the British Army. It was first delivered in 1993...
), Japan (Type 75
Type 75 155 mm Self-propelled howitzer
The is an armored artillery vehicle in the exclusive use of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. Self-propelled howitzers are employed to provide mobile heavy fire support to army units in the field....
) and Russia (2S3M1) found them either too heavy or too wide for local terrain. They were known to have a lot of fire power, were highly mobile and very survivable but they were also very heavy, mostly in the range of 50 tons, and the SAF needed something lighter. The SAF needed the Primus to weigh less than 30 tons and be no wider than 3 metres, for it to move across bridges and through the local vegetation. Hence the decision was made to develop a completely new self-propelled howitzer.
Leveraging on its experience with designing, developing and producing various towed artillery systems (the FH-88
FH-88
The FH-88 or Field Howitzer 88 was the first locally-designed howitzer developed for the Singapore Army. It is a 155 mm/39-calibre towed howitzer gun.-Development:...
and FH-2000
FH-2000
The FH-2000 or Field Howitzer 2000 was developed by Singapore Technologies for Singapore Army. It is a 155 mm/52-calibre towed howitzer gun. It fires projectiles to a maximum range of 42 kilometers using special extended range ammunition, that was field tested in New Zealand...
) for the SAF, ST Kinetics, together with DSTA began the development of the Primus in earnest in 1996.
By April 2000, the first working prototype was rolled out, using a vehicle chassis adapted from a United Defense
United Defense
United Defense Industries was a United States defense contractor which is now part of BAE Systems Land and Armaments. This company produces combat vehicles, artillery, naval guns, missile launchers and precision munitions.-History:...
armoured chassis (the Universal Combat Vehicle Platform; UCVP) which includes components from the US M109 Paladin howitzer, M2 Bradley
M2 Bradley
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle is an American fighting vehicle platform manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments, formerly United Defense.As with other infantry fighting vehicles, the Bradley is designed to transport infantry with armor protection while providing covering fire to suppress enemy...
IFV & M8-AGS
M8-AGS
The United Defense M8 Armored Gun System was a light tank that was intended to replace the M551 Sheridan in the 82nd Airborne Division, as well as being expected to replace TOW-equipped Humvees in the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment . The M8 project was eventually canceled...
. The next 2 years saw the system undergo a series of comprehensive tests to ensure that the Primus was able to withstand the rigours that were required of it. As land in Singapore is scarce, firing tests were first done at the Waiouru Army Camp
Waiouru Army Camp
The Waiouru Army Camp is a base of the New Zealand Army in the central North Island near Waiouru.Waiouru is often referred to by soldiers as the home of the army as it houses the army marae and is the base where all New Zealand Army soldiers complete their initial basic training called All Arms...
live-firing range in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
as part of Exercise Thunder Warrior in February 2004. The guns have also participated in Exercise Wallaby at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area
Shoalwater Bay
Shoalwater Bay is a large bay on the central coast of Queensland, Australia, located 100 km north of the coastal town of Yeppoon and 628 km north-north-west of the state capital, Brisbane. Since 1966, the land surrounding Shoalwater Bay has been under the ownership of the Australian Defence Force,...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In September 2002, the Primus was officially certified to have met the SAF’s stringent criteria, and then being formally adopted into the SAF.
Design
Bionix AFV
The Bionix is a family of tracked Singaporean armoured fighting vehicles developed by Singapore Technologies Kinetics . Intended to augment the Singapore Army's aging M113 armoured personnel carriers, it is the first indigenous armoured vehicle to be developed in Southeast Asia...
(IFV), which is already in SAF service. The use of common subsystems for the Primus and Bionix IFV offers several advantages, including easier training and reduced logistics.
The Primus power pack consists of a Detroit Diesel Corporation 6V 92TIA
Series 92
The Detroit Diesel Series 92 is a two-stroke cycle, V-block diesel engine, produced with versions ranging from four to 16 cylinders. Among these, the most popular were the 6V92 and 8V92, which were V6 and V8 configurations of the same engine respectively. The series was introduced in 1974...
diesel engine developing 550 hp coupled to a General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
Land Systems HMPT-500-3EC fully automatic transmission.
The maximum road speed of the Primus is 50 km/h, with an operating range of 350 km, its combat weight is of 28.3 tons allows it to use the SAF 's current military bridging systems. The Primus could be deployed by the future Airbus A400M
Airbus A400M
The Airbus A400M, also known as the Atlas, is a multi-national four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities. The aircraft's maiden flight, originally planned for 2008, took place on 11 December 2009 in...
Transport aircraft.
The turret is fitted with a locally developed 155 mm/39-cal barrel with a muzzle brake and fume extractor. This meets the NATO Joint Ballistics Memorandum of Understanding. The range of the Primus' gun would depend on the type of projectile and charge combination used, but is probably about 19 km with the old M107
M107 (projectile)
The M107 155mm projectile is the US Army and US Marine Corps' standard high explosive projectile for howitzers. It is a bursting round with fragmentation and blast effects.The M107 is being superseded in the US military by the M795 projectile....
high explosive (HE) projectile and 30 km (18.6 mi) with an extended range full bore base bleed projectile. In addition to smoke, HE and illumination projectiles, the locally developed 155 mm cargo round can also be fired.
A semi-automatic loading system is provided to increase the rate of fire and reduce crew fatigue. The fused projectiles are loaded and rammed automatically; the modular charges are loaded manually. The Primus has a burst rate of fire of three rounds in 20 seconds and a maximum rate of fire of 6 rounds per min. The bustle mounted magazine holds up to 22 rounds of 155 mm projectile.
The digital fire control system automates the complete projectile loading process and gun laying operation. An ammunition inventory management system keeps track of all on board ammunition as well as ammunition expenditure during firing. The weapon is laid to the target using an automatic fire control system, which includes an on board positioning and navigation system. This can receive target information from the battery or regimental command post. It takes less than 60 seconds to come into action and open fire and 40 seconds to re-deploy.
Special Features
- Automatic loading system, enables operation with 4 men crew
- Automated targeting based on GPS and Datalink
- Datalink system for shared targeting within battalion and information feeding from forward observers.