618:
609:
Troop trials, developed their own procedures to solve these problems, related to dust contamination, and this process became established in official manuals in due course. More significantly, the trails of the gun proved to be weak at the point where maximum stress was incurred when the equipment was towed; this resulted in modification work on the UK guns in 1987. There were continual problems with the drive train on the flat-4 VW APU, and the hydraulic system was always vulnerable to the obvious problems posed by external, non-armoured, housing in combat conditions. In addition, the complex dial sight carrier was vulnerable to damage.
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and turntable sole plate. Initially, it had assisted loading but became an early user of flick-ramming. In accordance with long-standing UK practice, it used one-man laying. All this meant that the gun could be operated by a minimum detachment of only four men (commander, layer and two loaders). The
608:
There were a number of design flaws that became apparent in service. The equipment entered full operational service in the UK in 1980. It became clear that there were significant difficulties with the tube feed system in anything but ideal conditions. 1st
Regiment RHA, a unit that had conducted the
631:
The new projectiles conformed to the
Quadrilateral Ballistics Agreement between the US, UK, Germany and Italy. In essence, this meant a shell with the same shape and dimensions as the US M549 rocket-assisted projectile. The standard HE shell (UK designation L15) is a thin wall design weighing 43.5
556:
Following the full-scale invasion of
Ukraine by Russia in 2022, a number of European countries made donations of FH70 units to Ukraine. Italy donated an unspecified number from their total inventory of approximately 190 units. These were in service in Ukraine by May 2022. In January 2023 Estonia
635:
The propellant system comprises three different bagged cartridges with triple-base propellant. Cartridge 1 gives charges 1 & 2, Cartridge 2 give charges 3–7 and
Cartridge 3 is charge 8, which gives a maximum range under standard conditions of 24.7 kilometres (15.3 mi).
489:
agreed a NATO Basic
Military Requirement 39 for close support artillery, either towed or tracked. Subsequently, Germany and UK started discussions and design studies and in 1968 established agreed operational characteristics for a towed
526:(RARDE) was responsible for designing the HE projectile and the charge system. Germany was responsible for Smoke, Illuminating, Minelet and extended range HE, although the development of the last two was not completed in the programme.
639:
Each nation developed its own fuzes and ammunition packaging. In the UK's case, this led to the Unit Load
Container carrying 17 complete rounds, including shells with fuzes fitted - a novelty for 155 mm.
583:
engine to power the hydraulics and to assist bringing the gun into and out of action (with hand pump back-up) and to move the gun up to 20 kilometres (12 mi) at low speed without towing by an
1046:
973:
522:
GmbH was the authority for the elevating mass, including the sights, and for the APU. There was a further breakdown at a more detailed level and production worksharing. The UK
643:
Standard US pattern 155 mm ammunition can also be fired, although US primers proved problematic for the primer magazine and feed due to their variation in size.
523:
1076:
533:
and equip general support battalions in German divisional artillery regiments and to equip three
British general support medium regiments replacing the
550:
632:
kilograms (96 lb) and containing 11.3 kilograms (25 lb) of HE. This remains the largest HE load for a standard 155mm shell.
914:
546:
1071:
811:– 150 as FH155-1 (Field Howitzer 155mm Mk1). Last unit (225th Mountain Artillery Battalion) converted to tracked artillery in 2002.
624:
507:
A burst capability of three rounds in 15–20 seconds, six rounds per minute for a short period and two rounds per minute sustained
573:
breech that provided obturation and held a primer magazine containing 12 primers (a similar breech was fitted to German M109G)
537:. In the event, it actually equipped UK regular regiments in direct support of infantry brigades until after the end of the
194:
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long, giving 827 m/s standard maximum muzzle velocity. It had a muzzle brake giving 32% efficiency.
589:
electronic firing data display taking data from the otherwise conventional azimuth and elevation sights.
934:
461:
1066:
453:
Quadrant elevation scale and levelling bubbles, a periscopic dial sight, and a direct fire telescope
504:
An unassisted range of 24 kilometres (15 mi); an assisted range of 30 kilometres (19 mi)
605:
burst fire rate was three rounds in 15 seconds. It was also fitted with a direct fire telescope.
518:
was the co-ordinating design authority. They were also the design authority for the carriage and
53:
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The ability to fire all 155 mm munitions in NATO service, plus a new range of ammunition
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126:
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853:– 67 (as Howitzer 155mm L121 with Ordnance 155mm L22 on Carriage 155mm L13 in
557:
announced that it would donate its entire stock of FH70 artillery to
Ukraine.
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The two national authorities had overall responsibility for R&D, and
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60:. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.
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close support gun. Italy became a party to the agreement in 1970.
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Semi-automatic vertically sliding block and automatic loader
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2.192 m (7 ft 2.3 in) firing (no elevation)
945:
Janes Land
Warfare Platforms: Artillery & Air Defence
776:– 34 after 10 transferred from Italy and 24 from Estonia.
867:
Howitzers of similar caliber, role, era, and capability
107:
FH70 howitzer in North
Cornwall Tank Museum Collection.
1036:, International Defense Review Vol 6, No 2 April 1973.
1034:
FH70 - Europe's first multi-national artillery program
524:
Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment
365:
Buffer with high-angle cut-off gear and a recuperator
938:
1058:
702:– 480 Built under license with the ordnance by
19:Not to be confused with Swedish towed howitzer
551:101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery
279:2.58 m (8 ft 6 in) travelling
248:9.8 m (32 ft 2 in) travelling
16:British/German/Italian 155 mm towed howitzer
234:9.3 t (9.2 long tons; 10.3 short tons)
1077:Military equipment introduced in the 1970s
893: – South Korean 155 mm towed howitzer
529:The intention was for FH70 to replace the
473:(field howitzer for the 1970s) is a towed
245:12.43 m (40 ft 9 in) firing
927:
915:List of weapons of the Lebanese Civil War
547:100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery
76:Learn how and when to remove this message
650:
616:
276:7.5 m (24 ft 7 in) firing
797:– 24 (all units transferred to Ukraine)
625:1st Field Artillery Regiment (Mountain)
600:Other conventional features included a
501:A detachable auxiliary power unit (APU)
1059:
875: – American 155 mm towed howitzer
425:213–827 m/s (700–2,710 ft/s)
262:6.022 m (19 ft 9.1 in)
933:
887: – Swedish 155 mm towed howitzer
627:troops loading an FH70 howitzer, 2019
671:
296:2.45 m (8.0 ft) travelling
25:
780:
13:
14:
1088:
1040:
436:24.7 km (15.3 mi) L15A1
903:
843:
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815:
801:
787:
766:
752:
738:
724:
710:
692:
678:
101:
30:
1072:Field artillery of the Cold War
899:– Spanish 155 mm towed howitzer
386:+70° (1244mils)/-4.5° (-80mils)
1008:
994:
980:
966:
688:– 90 in service of 162 ordered
430:Maximum firing range
157:
1:
920:
897:Santa Bárbara Sistemas 155/52
881: – French towed howitzer
612:
720:– Unknown number in service.
646:
439:31.5 km (19.6 mi)
7:
861:
56:the claims made and adding
10:
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955:: Jane's Group UK Limited.
480:
18:
560:
477:used by several nations.
457:
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344:155 mm (6.1 in)
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333:43.4 kg (96 lb)
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123:Place of origin
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565:FH70 features included:
541:, and only replaced the
1052:Estonian Defence Forces
839:– 15 in wartime reserve
497:Key requirements were:
668:
655:Operators of the FH70
628:
409:2 rounds/min sustained
402:Rate of fire
654:
620:
545:in two TA regiments,
857:service until 1999).
579:an on-board 1700 cc
531:M114 155 mm howitzer
421:Muzzle velocity
23:of the same caliber.
553:from 1992 to 1999.
322:L15A1 HE (standard)
211:licensed production
172:Russo-Ukrainian War
974:"Army Recognition"
669:
629:
593:The barrel was 39
412:6 rounds/min rapid
373:Split trails with
178:Production history
168:Lebanese Civil War
41:possibly contains
1047:Italian Army Site
1016:"Trade Registers"
1002:"Trade Registers"
910:List of howitzers
704:Japan Steel Works
672:Current operators
585:artillery tractor
467:
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207:Japan Steel Works
86:
85:
78:
43:original research
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1067:155 mm artillery
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855:Territorial Army
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781:Former operators
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58:inline citations
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937:(26 May 2022),
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226:Specifications
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904:Related lists
898:
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873:M198 howitzer
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571:sliding-block
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396:56° (996mils)
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66:December 2010
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39:This article
37:
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27:
22:
1033:
1010:
996:
982:
968:
957:, retrieved
944:
929:
885:Haubits FH77
760:Saudi Arabia
666: Former
642:
638:
634:
630:
622:Italian Army
607:
599:
592:
564:
555:
535:5.5-inch gun
528:
513:
496:
484:
470:
468:
259: length
191:Manufacturer
154:Used by
149:1978–present
131:West Germany
87:
72:
63:
40:
959:28 February
837:Netherlands
602:split trail
569:a vertical
520:Rheinmetall
516:Vickers Ltd
492:155 mm
199:Rheinmetall
1061:Categories
921:References
825:– 15 units
613:Ammunition
581:Volkswagen
576:burst fire
458:References
441:base bleed
203:OTO Melara
50:improve it
647:Operators
485:In 1963,
382:Elevation
186:1968–1973
54:verifying
949:Coulsdon
862:See also
823:Malaysia
595:calibres
539:Cold War
475:howitzer
392:Traverse
370:Carriage
218:Produced
183:Designed
117:Howitzer
1027:Sources
940:"FH-70"
809:Germany
795:Estonia
774:Ukraine
732:Morocco
718:Lebanon
481:History
339:Calibre
48:Please
953:Surrey
848:
834:
820:
806:
792:
771:
757:
743:
729:
715:
697:
683:
664:
658:
561:Design
450:Sights
361:Recoil
351:Breech
330:weight
287:Height
257:Barrel
239:Length
133:&
935:Janes
891:KH179
700:Japan
686:Italy
462:Janes
328:Shell
318:Shell
270:Width
135:Italy
95:FH70
961:2023
879:TRF1
762:– 72
748:– 12
746:Oman
734:– 30
549:and
487:NATO
471:FH70
469:The
304:Crew
264:L/39
231:Mass
221:1976
195:VSEL
164:Wars
113:Type
21:FH77
375:APU
52:by
1063::
951:,
947:,
943:,
205:,
201:,
197:,
129:,
1018:.
1004:.
990:.
976:.
706:.
307:8
213:)
209:(
79:)
73:(
68:)
64:(
46:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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