PzH 2000: what the German self-propelled gun is capable of
Kyiv • UNN
The German PzH 2000 self-propelled artillery system, of which about 30 units are in service in Ukraine, boasts advanced capabilities, including a 155-mm cannon and high mobility.
The media platform of the Defense Forces Military Media Center described the characteristics of the PzH 2000 self-propelled artillery system, UNN reports.
Details
Reportedly, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) is a German self-propelled artillery system developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. It is one of the most advanced artillery systems in the world. The first self-propelled artillery systems appeared in Ukraine in June 2022.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces currently have about 30 PzH 2000s in service, which were provided to Ukraine by Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Design and protection
The PzH 2000 is a closed-type howitzer on a tracked chassis based on the Leopard 2 tank. The howitzer is reportedly powered by an 8-cylinder MT881 turbocharged diesel engine with a capacity of 1000 hp, which allows the vehicle to accelerate to 60 km/h on the highway.
The turret and hull of the howitzer are made of homogeneous rolled steel armor that provides protection against bullets of up to 14.5 mm caliber and shell fragments. It can be additionally protected by "needle" armor against cumulative ammunition.
Weapons
As noted, the main armament is a 155 mm Rheinmetall rifled gun with a 52-caliber chrome barrel and a semi-automatic lift bolt with a built-in standard 32-round magazine.
The howitzer is capable of firing 3 shots in 10 seconds and delivering MRSI strikes, where a volley of shells hits the target in an instant. The gun's aiming angle ranges from -2.5° to +65°.
The SAU can use the entire standard NATO range of projectiles. Effective range: up to 30 km with a standard projectile, 40 km for enhanced ballistic missiles, and up to 56 km for enhanced ballistic rockets.
Secondary weapons include a 7.62 mm machine gun and two smoke grenade launchers.
Technology
The vehicle is equipped with an ADLER or MICMOS 32/MICMOS 2000 fire control system with built-in NABK (NATO Artillery Ballistic Kernel) software for autonomous calculation of firing commands. A ballistic computer, GPS and inertial navigation systems, as well as a Doppler radar for measuring and controlling initial velocity, make the PzH 2000 a fully autonomous weapon system.
