The self-propelled howitzers have emerged as critical equipment which gives a crucial edge to any land-based defence forces over its enemies given the ease in mobility and the ability to target over a wide range of area with accuracy. They also have the ability to quickly escape a counter-battery fire owing to its swift maneuverability. In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it becomes pertinent for us to study the most-capable self-propelled howitzers inducted in the armies of countries across the world. Here’s the list of world’s 10 best self-propelled howitzers.
1. PzH 2000 (Germany) Panzerhaubitze 2000 is a German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer jointly developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall. It is a self-propelled gun which has been in the service of the German army since 1998. Its length is 11.7m, width is 3.6m and height is 3.1m. The rate of fire is 3 rounds in 9 seconds (Burst) and 10 rounds per minute. The system is capable of Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) firing. The maximum range (for standard High-Explosive Fragmentation/ HE-FRAG) is 30 km and for M1711 base Bleed rocket assisted shells is 40 km. The maximum on-road speed is 67kmph and off-road speed is 45kmph.
2. 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV (Russia) 2S35 Koalytsiya-SV is a Russian self-propelled howitzer gun. It was inducted in the Russian armed forces in 2016. The main armament is a 152.4mm gun. It has a fully automated ammunition loading system. The claim is that it has a maximum range of 80km when using the precision-guided rounds and 40 km with the standard rounds. It has also been claimed that it can fire 16 rounds per minute. It was seen in public for the first time in 2015 during the Moscow victory Day parade rehearsals.
3. PLZ-52 (China) PLZ-52 is a Chinese self-propelled howitzer which is an improved version of PLZ-05. The artillery system consists of 155mm/L52 howitzer. The range for standard HE-FRAG is 30 km. The extended-shell range is 40 km, as per the military today. The maximum rate of firing is 8 shells per minute. The product is mostly developed for export purposes.
4. K-9 Thunder (South Korea) K-9 Thunder is a 155mm self-propelled howitzer jointly developed by the Agency for Defence Development and Samsung Aerospace Industries for South Korea's armed forces. It has been in the service of the South Korean Army since 1999. The length of the system is 12m, the width is 3.4 m and the height is 2.73m. The maximum range is 30 km with standard HR-FRAG shell and 40 km with rocket-assisted shell. It has a capability to fire 6 shells per minute and carries a total of 48 shells. The maximum speed is 67kmph.
5. Type 99 (Japan) Type 99 is a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer in service of the Japanese Ground self-defence forces. This was inducted in service in the year 1999. The width is 3.2m. It has been manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The maximum fire range with standard HE-FRAG is 30 km. The rate of fire is 6 shells per minute.
6. PLZ-05 (China) PLZ-05 is a 155mm self-propelled howitzer which has been developed by China’s People's Liberation Army. It has been designed and manufactured by Norinco (China North Industries Corporation). The length is 11.6m, the height is 3.55m and the width is 3.38m. The maximum range of fire by laser-homing is 20km and for rocket-assisted shells is over 40km. The rate of fire is 8-10 shells per minute. The maximum speed is 56 kmph.
7. Zuzana-2 (Slovakia) Zuzana-2 is a self-propelled, 155m howitzer which got inducted in the Slovakian defence forces ince 2021. The maximum rate of fire with rocket-assisted shells is 41 km. The rate of fire is 6 shells in the first three minutes of 16 shells every three minutes. It also has the capability of multiple rounds simultaneous impact firing.
8. M109A7 Paladin (USA) M109A7 Paladin, an upgrade in the M109 Self-propelled howitzer. These were inducted in the US Army in 2015. The maximum range of fire with standard HE-FRAG is 24km and with rocket-assisted shell is 30km. It can carry a total of 60 shells. The maximum rate of fire is 4 shells per minute. The maximum speed is 56kmph.
9. AHS Krab (Poland) AHS Krab is a 155mm self-propelled howitzer which has been designed by combining K9 Thunder chassis and AS-90 Braveheart (UK). It was inducted in the Palish land forces in 2008. The length is 12.05m, the width is 3.6m and the height is 3m. It has a maximum firing range of 155m with standard HE-FRAG and 40km with rocket-assisted shell. It has a firing rate of 6 rounds per minute. The maximum speed is 67 kmph whereas the average speed is 30kmph.
10. 2S33 Msta-SM (Russia) 2S33 Msta-SM-2 is an improvised version of 2S19 Msta-S which were inducted in the Russian Army in 2018. It has been designed by Uraltransmash and has been in service with the Russian armed forces since 1988. It is a 152-mm/L60 gun which has a maximum range of fire (with standard HE-FRAG) of 30km and (with rocket-assisted shell) of 40km. The rate of fire is 10 rounds per minute. It is claimed that it can carry around 50 shells. The maximum speed is 60kmph.
