armor
Panzerhaubitze 2000 – Kyiv will get one of the most modern and dangerous artillery systems in the world
The howitzer can also be used in direct fire.
© Bundeswehr/Marco Dorow / PR
The Panzerhaubitze 2000 is at the top of Ukraine’s wish list. Rightly so, the weapon is very powerful and the role of the artillery is once again crucial in the war. Now it will be delivered.
The suffix “2000” exudes a touch of retro in civilian life, in the Bundeswehr the seal “22 years old” is synonymous with “brand new”. One of the most advanced and deadliest guns in the world, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 is at the top of Kiev’s wish list. For a long time, the federal government hesitated to deliver models from the Bundeswehr’s inventory. Ukraine first got the howitzer from the Netherlands, now Germany is joining them.
What actually is a tank howitzer? This is an artillery piece based on a chain drive armored hull. The first models were used during World War II. They became necessary so that heavy and long-range artillery could follow the motorized formations and the armored units. Back then, many of the guns were still horse-drawn, and they could hardly keep up with the fast pace. If the gun was towed by a heavy tractor – mostly half-track vehicles in Germany at the time – the costs and effort for the towing vehicle and gun were insignificantly lower than for a self-propelled gun.
Another advantage of the self-propelled howitzer. It can very quickly start firing from the movement and continue just as quickly after the shot to avoid the opponent’s counterstrike. However, the Hummel and Wespe models from the Second World War shared a basic problem of German tank construction at the time: too heavy guns were placed on small chassis.
Technique of Leopard tanks
Of course, that no longer happens with models like the Panzerhaubitze 2000. It is called “Panzer-” and not artillery on a self-propelled gun because the vehicle is protected by armor all around. This armor is not capable of withstanding a hit from a main battle tank or anti-tank missile, but it can protect crew and equipment from light weapons and the fragmentation effect of enemy artillery.
Unlike the Hummel and Wespe models mentioned, the chassis of the Panzerhaubitze 2000 “fits” to the weapon. Their chassis is based on the Leopard main battle tanks. 1000 hp bring the colossus up to 60 km/h and that with an unladen weight of between 49 and 57 tons. At 3.46 m, the gun towers higher than a main battle tank, but still has a good balance of height and width; earlier models were built too high, which then led to significant limitations in mobility in the field.
This type of self-propelled howitzer has been built since the 1960s. So what is so special about the “2000s”? Her “shoot and scoot” ability has been greatly improved. Today it is crucial for the survival of the artillery. Special radar devices determine the position of the firing guns from the trajectory of the shells. With this data, the enemy artillery launches a counterattack. Then only a few minutes remain between launch and relocation.
volley fire
The Panzerhaubitze 2000 can launch a staggered volley fire. The howitzer then fires up to six rounds in a row. The trajectory is changed a little each time. This means that the projectiles fired one after the other hit the target at the same time. The Panzerhaubitze 2000 thus generates the massive burst of fire of a salvo gun. This is not unique, but only the latest guns can master this technique.
The howitzer fires ammunition of 155 mm – the standard caliber for heavy artillery. The 155 L52 gun has an eight meter long barrel. Projectiles are fed automatically, the propellant is thrown in manually. . The normal range is up to 40 kilometers. With range-enhanced ammunition, 56 and even over 100 kilometers can be achieved. This type of ammunition is fired from the propellant in the tube and ignites an additional rocket motor in flight. Compared to the predecessor of the M109 self-propelled howitzer, the aiming accuracy has been massively improved. As currently the only artillery system, the tank howitzer can fight 2000 moving targets. The precision and the high rate of fire make the Panzerhaubitze 2000 one of the most dangerous guns in the world. With a rate of fire of three rounds per minute, the entire ammunition supply of 60 projectiles can be fired without the barrel overheating.
The first models were delivered in 1998, the Bundeswehr received a total of 185 copies. By the way, the name is a temporary solution. Originally, the intention was to follow tradition and choose an animal name such as rhinoceros. Since no one could agree on a nice-sounding name, the prosaic factory designation “Panzerhaubitze 2000” remained. A completely different development of artillery can be seen in the Archer system from Sweden and Norway. The Archer does without a chain drive and mounts a 155mm howitzer on an all-terrain four-wheel drive truck. This reduces costs and the logistical footprint in use.
Artillery renaissance
The public generally underestimates the importance of artillery. Guns and self-propelled howitzers are not “fancy” enough, they lead a niche existence in the shadow of “PR stars” like tanks or jets. On the battlefield, however, artillery is experiencing a renaissance. Their enormous firepower is now associated with ranges of 30 to 40 kilometers that can also be used in practice. A Panzerhaubitze 2000 placed in the middle of Berlin could have an effect far beyond Potsdam in the southwest and Strausberg in the east. With range-enhanced V-LAP ammunition far beyond Frankfurt an der Oder.
The use of observation drones plus the increased accuracy of cannons have made artillery extremely dangerous. Simple and inexpensive drones can spot a target that can be engaged immediately. The drone can illuminate the target with a laser, for example, and special ammunition can then be guided directly to the target by this laser. Drones can also be used to deliver the massive burst of fire from a battery of howitzers with the precision of an expensive guided missile.