South Africa Completed Test Firing of Wheeled SPH

02 Agustus 2011

The LSPH firing at a RDM shoot at Alkantpan in April 2011 (photo : Defenceweb)

South African Light Self-Propelled Howitzer Test Firing was Done

July 2011 between 4 and 10 in Armaments Corporation of South Africa(Armscor)'s Alkantpan testing range in the Northern Cape, Daniel Land Systems launched its own light howitzer (LSPH). The 105 mm howitzer Light Experimental Ordnance (LEO) of their own models, using 58-calibre, has successful in test firing high explosive projectiles at a maximum range of 31km.

Light self-propelled howitzer (LSPH) jointly developed Daniel Land Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems, Daniel's 105 mm turret will installed in the LAV III light armored vehicle platform. The gun was originally designed to meet the U.S. Army's NLOS cannon project's needs. U.S. Army decided to adopt the 155 mm gun after the suspension of development. In 2009 U.S. Army NLOS cannon project was canceled, and therefore light self-propelled howitzers to restart the project in 2010.

Based on 8x8, the LSPH's weight only 18.2 tonnes, air transportable with C-130 Hercules but can fire HE projectile for 31 km range (photo : casr)

Light self-propelled howitzer weight 18.2 tons, with a wheeled chassis, the inherent self-deploy mobility, firing without having to install stable bracket, only a very short time to enter battle. The gun fitted with Daniel's automatic navigation and targeting systems, based on the Denel Arachnida II Weapon Management System and Selex Fin 3110 of Italy's Inertial Navigation Unit, the amount of capacity of shells made from 60 to 38, C-130 transport aircraft available, with three crew.

The gun is equipped with 105 mm Series munitions, including shells fitted with interchangeable tail cone of the projectile or the bottom row of cells and modules charge the system. The maximum range on the gun in the probability of error is less than 0.3%, bias error of 0.5 miles. In the early 2011's during shooting demonstration, three shots that were fired from howitzers through the same hole in a wall at 1,000 m distance.

(DSTI)

See Also :

Denel Land Systems' LEO Leaps Forward
18 Juli 2011

(Defenceweb)