PzH 2000

From SBWiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
The PzH 2000 in Steel Beasts Professional in firing position

PzH 2000: Self-propelled Artillery Gun


Statistics

Main Gun: Rheinmetall 155 mm L52 Howitzer
Ammunition Stowage: 60 ready/0 stowed
Default Ammunition "A": 30/0 M107C1 HE, 10/0 M10C1 WP Smoke, 20/0 M483A1 DPICM


AA MG: 7.62mm MG3
Ammunition Stowage: 200 ready/800 stowed
Default Ammunition “A”: 200/800 7.62mm DE


Grenades: Smoke Grenades
Ammunition Storage: 8 ready/8 stowed*
Default Ammunition "A": 8/8 Multi-spectral smoke

  • These numbers represent single rounds which are fired as salvos of 4 using the left/right dischargers.


Armor Protection:
Front Turret Armor: Thin, Composite. Protected from HMG and shell splinter.
Front Hull Armor: Thin, Composite. Protected from HMG and shell spinter


Combat Mass: 55.8 tonnes
Length: 7.92m (hull)
Width: 3.6m
Height: 3.1m
Engine Power: 1000hp MTU 881 Ka-500 diesel
Top Speed: 67kph (on-road)

General

Developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall with the dissolution of the trilateral PzH 155-1 (SP70) program the Panzerhaubitze 2000 (Ger: armored howitzer 2000) is a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer that entered German service in 1998. Combining a number of evolutionarily improved systems into a single platform, the PzH 2000 is considered by many to be one of the best self-propelled howitzers in current service.

General layout matches that of other SPH systems: tracked hull with the driver on the right and power-pack to his left and turret to the rear with main armament and bustle ammunition stowage. Standard crew is 5: commander, driver, gunner, and two loaders, but the vehicle can function with only the commander, driver, and a single loader.

Main armament consists of a stabilized chromium-lined Rheinmetall DeTec 155 mm L52 howitzer fed by a pneumatic flick rammer, integral 32-round primer magazine, and an automatic picking/loading system to feed projectiles to the rammer. Charge handling is manual from sealed bustle mounted charge bins and supports both the DM72 six-zone modular propelling charge system (MTLS) and traditional bag charges. This combination of automatic and manual loading procedures offers a burst fire rate of three rounds in nine seconds or ten rounds in 56 seconds, and a sustained fire rate of 10 to 13 rounds per minute depending on gun tube temperature. The system is capable of firing HE, HE/RAP, Illumination, ICM, DPICM, Smoke, and Area Denial (FASCAM) rounds. Secondary armament is a skate-ring mounted 7.62mm MG3 anti-aircraft machine gun mounted at the commander's station.

Fire control combines GPS input with the Extel Systems Wedel manufactured electrical automatic elevating/traversing drives, Honeywell Maintal gun laying and positioning system, and on-board MICMOS computer to automate fire mission processing and execution. For direct-lay and under-armor operations the commander is provided with an LRF equipped Leica PERI-RTNL 80 panoramic periscope while the gunner has a Leica PzF TN 80 direct fire sight for direct-lay engagements. Both of these sights feature night-vision capability.

Motive power is provided by a 1000hp 8-cylinder MTU 881 Ka-500 diesel engine coupled with a Renk HSWL 284 C automatic transmission with 4 forward and 2 reverse gears. Suspension is of the torsion bar type.

Introduced with Steel Beasts Professional PE version 4.156 the PzH 2000 is a fully functional on-map indirect-fire artillery piece capable of firing HE, smoke, and DPICM missions, along with limited direct-fire self-defense capability. Beyond Germany (101 units), the PzH 2000 is currently in service with eight nations: Croatia (16), Greece (24), Hungary (24), Italy (70), Lithuania (21), Netherlands (57), and Qatar (24).

Thermal Signature

PzH 2000 TIS image, front-right PzH 2000 TIS image, rear-left