Donar (artillery)
| Donar | |
|---|---|
|
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 2 |
| length | 10.3 m |
| width | 2.8 m |
| height | 3 m |
| Dimensions | 31.5 t transport weight / 35 t combat weight |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor |
Armored steel roof protection |
| Main armament | 155 mm L / 52 with 30 rounds and 145 propellant charge modules |
| Secondary armament | - |
| agility | |
| drive | MTU 8V 1999 530 kW (720 hp) |
| suspension | Torsion bar |
| Top speed | > 60 km / h |
| Power / weight | 15.1 kW / t |
| Range | 500 km |
The self-propelled, protected artillery gun Donar is currently being developed and tested by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and General Dynamics European Land Systems (GD ELS). The name of the gun was derived from the West Germanic name of the thunder god Thor .
Donar was introduced in 2008 and first exhibited in June 2008 at Eurosatory , the world's largest trade fair for military land systems. The Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement (BWB) has already tested Donar extensively.
Structure and technology
Donar consists of two main components: the A rtillerie- G eschütz- M odule (Artillery gun modules, AGM) by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and an armored chassis, which respectively of a light armored vehicle from an armored is derived. With a tracked chassis, the system is part of the tank artillery.
landing gear
The chassis of the Donar is supplied by GD ELS. After the first development step and prototype, known as KMW AGM , was based on the chassis of the multiple rocket launcher MLRS , the current state of development was based on a modified chassis of the ASCOD 2 armored personnel carrier . Due to the low combat weight of around 35 t, the gun has a high battlefield mobility, which corresponds to that of a modern armored personnel carrier.
Donar is operated by only two soldiers (driver and commander) who operate the system from a protected driver's cab separately from the gun module. The armor protects against fire from handguns and shrapnel, but can be greatly increased by modular armor elements. The cabin has full NBC protection and the entire vehicle is equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system.
Due to its relatively low transport weight of 31.5 t, Donar can be transported by air, for example with the Airbus A400M or strategic military aircraft such as the Boeing C-17 . On the other hand, it is too big and too heavy for transport with the C-130 Hercules or the Transall C-160 .
Artillery Gun Module (AGM)
The unmanned AGM consists of a 155 mm L / 52 cannon with an automatic feed of grenades and propellant charges and weighs 12.5 t. It meets the NATO standard for 155 mm ammunition and can therefore fire various projectiles. The weapon system is basically the same as that used in the Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000). It is manufactured by Rheinmetall and has a total length with a base of 9129 mm. However, it has been slightly modified for use in the AGM: Among other things, the number of grenades carried has been halved from 60 to 30 and supplemented by a complete automation of the loading processes for the combined feeding of grenades and propellant charges.
The performance parameters of the gun of PzH 2000 were preserved so that a cadence of at least six rounds per minute and a range of 40 km by ERFB ammunition and 56 km by V-LAP projectiles possible, that is bullets that of a small rocket motor be accelerated. The AGM offers complete autonomy and remote control for its systems with an azimuth range of 360 degrees and an elevation of 0 to 70 degrees. Like the PzH 2000, it is able to fire four grenades at a target using the MRSI (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact) method, which strike synchronously.
Miscellaneous and use
Donar meets NATO standard 2832 for rail transport.
As a modern artillery system with advantages in firepower, battlefield mobility and the possibility of air transport, Donar offers itself as a replacement for many outdated artillery pieces such as the American M109 , the French AMX-30 AuF1 or less powerful systems like the British AS90 .
See also
Web links
- Manufacturer website of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann zur Donar (accessed on December 4, 2012)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Press release on Donar on the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann website (accessed on February 9, 2009) ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ StrategyPage with data on Donar (accessed February 9, 2009)
- ↑ Information on the AGM on the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann website (accessed on February 9, 2009) ( Memento of the original from May 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Announcement on the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann website regarding product additions (accessed on February 9, 2009) ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Data on the Donar at Artillerie-Gesellschaft-Augustdorf (accessed on February 9, 2009)
- ↑ Information about the weapon system on DefenseNews (English, accessed on February 9, 2009) ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ MilitaryToday with data on Donar (accessed on February 12, 2009)
- ↑ Eurosatory report on DefenseNews (English, accessed on February 9, 2009) ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
