For centuries, artillery has proven to be a vital component in the battlefield.
A modern German self-propelled howitzer known as the Panzerhaubitze or PzH 2000
is among the most powerful artillery systems currently deployed. This artillery is also one
of Germany’s scariest ground vehicles and will be sent to Ukraine along with anti-aircraft tanks and
other military equipment to support Ukraine army. Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht
announced that Germany will supply Ukraine with seven self-propelled armored howitzers.
Lambrecht made the announcement while visiting Slovakia to meet the German troops stationed
in the eastern European country which shares a small border with Ukraine.
Not only that, but Germany also provides training in the use of this heavy artillery.
So, how dangerous is this Germany’s artillery system, and what is it capable of?
Hello everyone. Welcome back to Military TV. In today’s episode,
we will be discussing about a German-made artillery system which becomes one of the
scariest in the battlefield and will be supplied to Ukraine: the Panzerhaubitze 2000. If you
are curious about this topic, don’t go anywhere and stay tuned only at this channel.
The Panzerhaubitze 2000 or in short PzH 2000 is a self-propelled howitzer designed and developed by
Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) in joint effort with Rheinmetall. PzH 2000 encompasses an effective
self-propelled artillery system featuring enhanced protection and outstanding capabilities. The
system was built based on the chassis of Leopard 2 and uses some components of that main battle tank.
The Pzh 2000 is fully armored with welded steel sheet that is thick enough to withstand 152mm
and 14.5mm projectiles. The crew can also add top explosive reactive armor
to protect against mortars and cluster submunitions if necessary. The howitzer
also has automatic fire suppression and NBC protection systems installed to protect and
defend against nuclear, biological, and chemical threats and hazards.
The vehicle weighs 55.8 tons and measures 38 feet 5 inches long, 11 feet 10 inches wide,
and 10 feet 2 inches tall. It is powered by a 1,000 horsepower MTU MT 881 Ka-500 supercharged
diesel engine. This enables the howitzer to travel up to 260 miles and at a total speed of
41 mph on-road and 28 mph off-road. Furthermore, the PzH 2000 has an auxiliary power unit that
powers all systems when the main engine is turned off. The PzH 2000 howitzer can be operated by a
crew of five, including the commander, gunner, two loaders, and driver. A crew of two men can
carry out target engagements, while loaders are employed only when the autoloader fails.
So, what about its firing system and armament? Well, the PzH 2000 howitzer has an elaborate
fire control system that is informed by a suite of sensors, such as a weather sensor to gauge climate
factors, a combination of GPS and international navigation to precisely gauge the howitzer’s
position and inclination, and even a phased array radar to gauge the speed and trajectory of the
shell upon firing. The fire control computer uses all these data points to generate a firing
solution, making this artillery system really scary by firing at very high rate for subsequent
rounds. With the Rheinmetall 155mm L52 artillery gun as its main armament, in burst mode, it can
fire three rounds in nine seconds, tolerate ten rounds in 56 seconds or 20 rounds in two minutes,
and maintain 10 to 13 rounds per minute over time, depending on barrel temperature.
The Pzh 2000 has a maximum firing range of 22 miles with standard DM121 Boattail shells,
which can be increased to 29 miles with more expensive base-bleed shells and 35-42 miles
with rocket-assisted DM702A1 projectiles. In addition, its fire control system can execute
Multiple Release Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) strikes, in which it discharges up to 5 or
6 rounds in succession with variable strength charges that can all land at roughly the same
time on the same target, ensuring a vicious initial strike before troops can take cover.
It also has a coaxial 7.62 mm Rheinmetall MG3 machine gun as its secondary armament.
The PzH 2000 also comes in several variants.
MONARC (Modular Naval Artillery Concept) is the PzH 2000 howitzer version mounted on a naval ship.
It was installed on the deck of the Hamburg, a frigate of the Sachsen class. Another modified
version of the PzH 2000 is AGM (Artillery Gun Module) 155 mm self-propelled howitzer. It was
designed to supplement the PzH 2000 in situations where heavier weaponry is not available,
is not recommended, or is too expensive. A crew of two men operates this artillery system. It
is significantly lighter than the PzH 2000 but offers the same performance. The first
prototype was mounted on a tracked chassis of the M270 MLRS. However, the unmanned AGM turrets can
be integrated on a variety of other chassis or used as a standalone unit, such as the Donar 155
mm self-propelled howitzer, which is based on an ASCOD 2 IFV tracked chassis, and the Boxer
RCH 155, which is based on a Boxer 8x8 armored personnel carrier. It is also air transportable.
The PzH 2000 grew out of the international SP70 program, which was canceled in the 1980s
due to funding issues. The prototype of this system was completed in 1993 and then in 1998,
the first systems were delivered to the German Army. This artillery
system saw action in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021 and currently,
the vehicle is also planned to be used in Ukraine against Russian invasion.
The German Defense Ministry did not specify a delivery date for the howitzers,
but training for Ukrainian soldiers has already begun, and according to reports,
these artillery pieces are expected to be ready by the end of June 2022. The Ukrainian
military is currently being trained in Germany as part of a joint project with the Netherlands,
and Lambrecht also stated that the German howitzers will only be sent
once the Ukrainian soldiers have learned how to use them. The seven artillery pieces that
are planned to be sent to Ukraine will be drawn from a separate pool that includes
pieces set aside for repairs rather than from those made available to the German Bundeswehr.
So, do you think the Panzerhaubitze 2000 is one of Germany's scariest
vehicles deployed and effective against Russian invasion in Ukraine? Well,
you decide. That’s all for today. Thank you for watching and see you in the next episode.