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Denel GV6 Renoster (G6 Rhino)

1988 ANGOLAN BUSH WAR COLD WAR MODERN SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY

History

The G6 "Rhino" is a South African indigenous self-propelled artillery platform with a six-wheeled chassis and a 155mm main gun in a movable turret. The G6 has proven itself to be a highly accurate firing platform, showing excellent maneuverability in limited maneuvers to this day, despite its limited production numbers and export orders since its introduction.

The G6 "Rhino" is also known as "GV6 Rhino" in the South African Defence Force nomenclature.

The evolving South African military complex began developing new wheeled artillery systems in the second half of the 1970s, culminating in the fielding of the first pilot vehicle, the G6, in 1981. The vehicle is an improved version of the 6x6 all-terrain design focused on the G5 towed field howitzer, also produced by Denel Land Systems since 1982. Although production numbers were not available at the time, the car had already been seen in combat during the South African border war of 1987/1988. Serial production of the G6 would begin at the Denel factory in 1987, and the vehicle did not officially enter service with the SANDF until 1988.

Once deployed, the G6 was called upon to provide infantry fire support and cover fire for the advancing mechanized force. Its highly maneuverable frame coupled with turret armament means the G6 can engage enemies directly or indirectly as needed.

The main armament of the G6 is the 155mm T6 L/52 main gun. The ship can carry up to 47 rounds of 155mm ammunition with 50 charges and 64 detonators/detonators. Gun elevation is limited to +75 degrees and -5 degrees, with 80 degrees of traverse in both horizontal directions.

Ammunition types include standard high-explosive fragmentation fragmentation (HE-FRAG) and general incendiary, light and smoke types that meet NATO artillery standards. There is an integrated semi-automatic loading system that allows for a sustained rate of fire and quick setup and reaction times. Standard ammunition has a base range of 19 miles, but this can be extended to nearly 24 miles with missile support if desired.

The rate of fire was between six and eight rounds per minute, with reports consistently reaching two rounds per minute. The wheeled nature of the vehicle means it can fire a round and quickly switch to a new position to repeat the process, leaving enemies with little chance of firing.

When set up for general transport, the gun is mounted on top of the fuselage, just behind the driver's position to stabilize the barrel. The recoil legs mounted between the first and second pair of tires were lowered for firing to aid the heavy recoil inherent in the 155mm gun.

The vehicle is defended by a single 12.7mm heavy machine mounted on top of the turret for low-flying enemy aircraft such as helicopters and fixed-wing attack aircraft. This weapon can also be used as a suppression system against enemy infantry and can penetrate the armor of light vehicles. Up to 2,000 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition can be carried on board. The G6 is also equipped with eight smoke grenade launchers (divided into two groups of four along the sides of the turret), allowing the vehicle to move under the cover of a smoke screen during tactical maneuvers.

The crew is also protected from aerial threats by an integrated NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) system and automatic fire suppression system. South African battlefield experience has made its engineers experts when it comes to designing robust vehicles that can withstand concealed mine attacks, so the G6 chassis and underbody are designed to help deflect the blast of these weapons.

The Rhino is powered by a 525 hp air-cooled diesel engine. This gives the vehicle a top speed of 53 mph in ideal conditions, a range of 430 miles on flat, paved roads, and about 220 miles or less off-road. Equipped with suspension on all six wheels, the G6's inherent six-wheel maneuverability enables it to negotiate gradients of up to 60 percent and traverse ditches up to 1 meter, with wading limited to 1 meter.

When the engine is not running, the vehicle is powered by auxiliary devices.

The "G6" designation indicates the original Rhino production variant that has been put into service. The "G6-52 Extended Range" designation refers to the upcoming improved G6 base, which reduces the operator's crew to five, with a possible minimum of three for basic functions. The performance of the artillery and engine has also been further improved, with "smart" projectiles combined with G6 ammunition bursts, allowing multiple rounds to hit a single target area in a matter of seconds.

The G6-52 is currently under evaluation for possible mass production and inclusion in SANDF inventory. The "G6 Marksman" designation was used to cover the development of a British self-propelled artillery system using the G6 chassis and fitted with a "Marksman" turret.

In addition to the 43 G6 systems currently in service with the South African Defence Force, the weapon system has been delivered to Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Oman has received 24 examples so far, and the UAE has added 78 such examples. The VAE version is named "G6 M1A3".