German Panzerhaubitze PZH 2000 155mm. Self-Propelled Howitzers Already Bombing Russian Positions.

#UkrainePanzerhaubitzePZH2000 Germany sends Seven Howitzers to Ukraine Model PZH 2000 is ‘the most powerful tube artillery system in the world,’ according to the manufacturer. BERLIN — After a long national debate on sending heavy weapons to Ukraine, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht announced Friday that Berlin would send seven PzH 2000 howitzers to combat Russian troops. According to Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, one of the companies manufacturing the howitzers, the PzH 2000 is “the most powerful tube artillery system in the world.” “With this we are adding to the five Dutch self-propelled howitzers to reach a total of twelve,” Lambrecht’s ministry said in a tweet, adding that “howitzer training in Germany has been prepared and will begin next week.” Friday’s announcement came a week after the German parliament voted to send “heavy weapons” to Ukraine following weeks of intense debate in Germany on whether that would be a step too far, escalating the war Russian President Vladimir Putin started in February. Days before he joined the heavy weapons camp, Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned in an interview that “there must be no nuclear war,” adding that with Putin on the other side, it would be impossible to know “at what point we are perceived as a belligerent.” But Scholz has changed his tune since, even yelling at pacifists last week and calling them “cynical” for suggesting Ukrainians should fend off Russian attacks without arms. During a press conference Thursday, the chancellor dismissed the idea that the war would be over quickly. “The unbelievable military commitment that Russia is showing [in eastern Ukraine] does not give rise to any hope that it will all come to an end anytime soon,” he said. Panzerhaubitze 2000 The Panzerhaubitze 2000 ("armoured howitzer 2000"), abbreviated PzH 2000, is a German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall for the German Army. The PzH 2000 is one of the most powerful conventional artillery systems deployed in modern times. It is capable of a very high rate of fire; in burst mode it can fire three rounds in nine seconds, ten rounds in 56 seconds, and can—depending on barrel heating—fire between 10 and 13 rounds per minute continuously. The PzH 2000 has automatic support for up to 5 rounds of Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI). 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, Netherlands, Greece, Lithuania, Hungary, Qatar and Croatia, mostly replacing older systems such as the M109 howitzer. In November 2019 a PzH 2000 L52 gun fired a shell to a range of 67 km. Development In 1986, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany agreed to terminate their existing development of the PzH 155-1 (SP70) programme, 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 caliber barrel (based on a UK proposal) to replace 39 caliber was nearing an 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. Wegmann eventually won a contract in 1996 for 185 units to be delivered to Germany's rapid reaction force, followed by another 410 for the main force. Wegmann and Krauss-Maffei, the two main German military tracked vehicle designers, merged in 1998 to form KMW. Design Rheinmetall designed the 155 mm 52-calibre JBMOU compliant rifled gun (60-rifles, right-hand spiral), which is chromium-lined for its entire 8 m length and includes a muzzle brake on the end. Type Self-propelled gun Place of origin Germany Service history In service 1998–present Wars War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Production history Designed 1987–1996 Unit cost DM 9 million (1996) Produced 1996–present Specifications Mass Combat: 55.8 t (61.5 short tons) Length 11.7 m (38 ft 5 in) Width 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) Height 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in) Crew 5 (commander, driver, gunner, and two loaders) Rate of fire 3 rounds in 9.0 seconds (Burst) 10 rounds per minute Effective firing range DM121 Boattail: 30–36 km (19–22 mi) M1711 Base bleed: 40–47 km (25–29 mi) RAP: 67 km (42 mi) Armor welded steel, 14.5 mm resistant additional bomblet protection Main Armament Rheinmetall 155 mm L52 Artillery Gun 60 rounds Secondary Armament 7.62 mm Rheinmetall MG3 machine gun Engine MTU 881 Ka-500 1,000 PS (986 hp, 736 kW) Power/weight 17.92 PS/t Suspension torsion bar Operational Range 420 km (260 mi) Maximum speed Road: 67 km/h (41 mph) Off-road: 45 km/h (28 mph) for more detailed information about Panzerhaubitze 2000., please do visit the following web pages at... https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-se... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerhaubit...