155/45 Norinco SP
| 155/45 Norinco SP | |
|---|---|
Kuwaiti PLZ-45 self-propelled howitzers |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 5 men |
| length | 6.10 m |
| width | 3.20 m |
| height | 2.59 m |
| Dimensions | 32 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | unknown |
| Main armament | 155 mm gun WAC-21 |
| Secondary armament | 12.7 mm AA guns , 2 × 4 smoke pots |
| agility | |
| drive | Diesel engine 525 PS (391 kW) |
| suspension | Torsion bar suspension |
| Top speed | 56 km / h |
| Power / weight | 16.4 hp / t |
| Range | 450 km |
The 155/45 Norinco SP (other names: PLZ-45 or Type 88 ) is a Chinese self-propelled howitzer .
The 155/45 is a conventional self-propelled gun with a chain drive and front drive. The turret has a lateral directional range of 360 ° and is fully armored. The weapon has a smoke extractor and a muzzle brake as well as a mechanical loading and attachment aid to increase the rate of fire. Both optical and computer-controlled systems are used for fire control. The elevation range of the weapon extends from −9 ° to + 72 °. However, this does not even come close to reaching the level of fire of the French AMX-30 AuF1 or the British Abbot . Despite their relative age, these vehicles can also use laser rangefinders. The advantage of the vehicle is its very low cost, which makes the self-propelled gun interesting even for comparatively poorer countries.
The 155/45 has the caliber 155 mm, which is by no means the Chinese standard, but rather the standard NATO caliber. From this it was concluded that this self-propelled gun was intended for export. After a test in Kuwait , where the gun was convincing, 74 vehicles were delivered to the Kuwaiti army . Furthermore, 54 vehicles were delivered to Saudi Arabia and 50 to Algeria . Increases in combat value of the weapon are to be expected.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d PLZ45 155MM SELF-PROPELLED GUN-HOWITZER at sinodefence.com ( Memento from September 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive )