AS-90 (Gun Equipment 155mm L131)

History

The AS90 is currently the mainstay of the British Self-Propelled Artillery regiment. This weapon system provides the modern Army with a powerful "range" across miles of terrain and accurate results with the types of lethal munitions available. Since its introduction in the early 1990s, the AS90 has been required to be armed in a variety of theatres where the Royal Army operates.

The vehicle continues to provide valuable service today and has been upgraded to remain a viable firing platform for the next decade. The name "AS90" comes from the wording of "Artillery System, 1990".

The original SP70 project in the 1970s aimed to provide participating countries with a fully modernized high-capacity self-propelled artillery system conforming to the NATO common standard of 155mm 39 caliber. The joint venture includes the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, and was formally established in 1973 with the British company Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering, which developed the tower (code GBT155).

In trials, the SP70 outperformed the competing U.S.-made, proven and ready-to-use M109 SPG in several ways, culminating in the SP70 project being scrapped entirely.

The AS90 has five standard operators. The driver sits on the left front of the fuselage with the engine on his right. The engine consists of a single liquid-cooled Cummins VTA 903T 660T-660 V8 turbo diesel engine that produces up to 660 hp at 2,800 rpm. This enables the vehicle to reach a top speed of 55 kilometers per hour and a range of 370 kilometers. The rest of the crew consists of the vehicle commander, the gunner (also known as the gunner), and the ammunition operator.

Each vehicle system carries at least 48 x 155mm L15 series projectiles, 31 of which are within range of the turret personnel. Self-defense (against infantry and low-flying aircraft) is handled by a single mount for an optional 7.62 general purpose machine gun or 12.7mm machine gun atop the turret - 1,000 rounds of ammunition for this weapon.

The crew's armor protection is relatively light, with only 17mm of steel at its thickest point. The structure consists of welded steel for the tower and hull. A nuclear-biochemical (NBC) system is also standard on the crew - reminiscent of the Cold War.

10 smoke grenade launchers can be invoked to cover vehicle attacks and retreats. An internal fire suppression system helps protect the crew from internal fires.

The main gun fires 155mm shells and has an inherent range of up to 25km. The 155mm L31/39 caliber ordnance version can hit target areas up to 25 (24.7) km, while the 155mm/52 caliber version can reach 30 km. Extended Range Ammunition (ERA) can increase this value to 80 km. The standard cannon round is a high-explosive fragmentation round (HE-FRAG), and the rocket-assisted type can be used for longer ranges.

The loader places the projectile on the waiting bracket arm and automatically pushes the cartridge into the breech. The main gun is tuned with a split sliding breech device, and when used with a capable crew, can fire 6 rounds per minute for up to 3 minutes if required, with continuous fire down to 6 rounds per minute 2 bullets. The turret is equipped with a fully automatic gun sighting system that feeds back relevant information to the vehicle commander, gunner and loader.

The weapon targeting system is integrated into the vehicle's inertial navigation system, known as the Dynamic Reference Unit (DRU). When traveling, the barrel is attached to a heavy duty "A-frame" type clamp that flips out of the glacis plate. The turret stance provides a full 360-degree traversal, allowing the hull to point in any direction, regardless of which direction the gun itself is firing.

Altitude is limited to +70 degrees and -5 degrees. Auxiliary devices can shut down the vehicle engine but keep the tower function active.

The original AS90 was modified to operate in a desert environment to yield the name "AS90D" ("D" = "Desert"). To cope with the extreme temperatures and harsh climates in these parts of the world, especially the Middle East, the engine has additional cooling measures to prevent overheating.

The crew is thermally protected and specially designed rails have been incorporated into the design to facilitate greatly improved ride performance on loose sandy terrain.

In 2002, a new initiative to increase the range of the AS90 main gun was tested on at least 96 existing AS90 vehicles, adding a longer 155mm/52 gun and a special propellant charge. However, the project failed when it was not possible to agree on the required cost. These AS-90 systems will be referred to as "AS90 Braveheart" after the upgrade. The Polish self-propelled artillery platform "Krab" uses the turret system of the vehicle proposed by the abandoned British AS90 "Braveheart", but mounts them on the hull of the Russian T-72 main battle tank.

The finished design is entirely native to the Polish country and the towers were procured by license. Therefore, the existing British Army AS90 system still uses its original L31/39 caliber main gun. In 2008, the electronics of the AS90 series were upgraded to modern standards.

AS90 troops were deployed to theatres in Bosnia and Iraq to support British and Coalition operations. The system occupies the stockpile of no less than six British Army Field Artillery Regiments (Royal Mounted Artillery and Royal Artillery).

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

for everyone else in our database)

Armor

48 x 155mm bullets

1,000 x 7.62mm / 12.5mm ammo

Changes