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FH70 (Field Howitzer 1970)

1978 COLD WAR MODERN

History

With the emergence of the NATO alliance after the end of World War II (1939-1945), a decisive step was taken towards the standardization of various weapon systems, components and logistics. This in turn led to the rise of standardized small arms and caliber artillery, the latter becoming the 155mm shell. As early as 1963, NATO authorities chose this caliber based on basic military requirements 39 because of its strong balance between range and firepower, and designs like the FH70 became popular with operators in Europe and around the world .

NATO's BMR39 initiative calls for a weapon system capable of a range of 24km - if required, additional rocket-launched missiles will increase the range to 30km. Auxiliary power units (APUs) will be integrated into the transport system to allow firefighters to move their guns over short distances without direct service from moving vehicles. Bursting stamina requires up to three rounds in a 20-second time window and up to six rounds in a minute.

A normal continuous fire requires about two rounds per minute.

So far, most European powers still rely on the proven 155mm M114. This howitzer originated in the United States and fully proved itself in the battles of World War II. However, with this design introduced in 1942, its best days of combat were over, and new battlefields demanded an equally new modern artillery - light, streamlined and just as effective.

Despite its age, the M114 had a very long service life, fighting until the mid-1990s. Another candidate for the FH70 replacement is the British BL 5.5" gun. This is another World War II weapon, thousands of which were produced and successfully fought in the 1980s.

The FH70 eventually became a joint development between Vickers Ltd and the Royal Armaments Research and Development Agency (RARDE) and Rheinmetall in West Germany. Work began in 1968 and was expanded to include donations from Italy in 1970.

In addition to the new barrels and mounts, different ammo types will be available, including high-explosive (HE), lighting and smoke generators.

The final gun was largely laid out in a traditional design, with the barrel positioned above the mounting hardware and the mounting components mounted on a dual-wheel "split" bracket. The trailing arm can be used both as a towing arm for road transport and as a support arm for artillery loading. The barrel is fitted with a large muzzle brake with two baffles on its "business" end, and the recoil mechanism is placed under the barrel as usual. Height and traversal controls are included, as is the required (removable) APU unit.

The vertical sliding locking mechanism allows the rifle group to quickly and efficiently access the all-important firebox.

The total weight to become "FH70" exceeds 17,000 lbs. The barrel alone is 19.7 feet long and the carriage is 7.2 feet wide. A typical operator consists of eight people, each responsible for a specific function of the weapon for maximum efficiency.

Mounting hardware allows an elevation range of -5 to +70 degrees, giving the weapon great tactical flexibility, and is limited to 56 degrees on either side of the centerline.

In practice, this weapon seems to perform well, with a burst rate of 3 rounds per 15 seconds. Continuous fire can reach six rounds per minute. The projectiles were fired at a muzzle velocity of 2,713 feet per second and had a desired range of 24 kilometers (30 kilometers with rocket boost).

However, early service exposed some problems with the feed mechanism prone to dust accumulation, inconsistent APU performance, and the design of key operating components. Some remedies were enacted in the second half of the 1980s, while others simply mandated a rewrite of the rifle squad's operating procedures.

The FH70 officially entered service in 1980 with European operators being the UK, Estonia, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and West Germany. The largest operator of these was West Germany, which bought 150, followed by the British military with 67.

The Netherlands, Norway, West Germany (Germany) and the United Kingdom have all been operators of the system since 2018.

Overseas users are Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Japan has locally licensed production of the weapon through Japanese steel mills and has built 480 of them this way. Italy manages an inventory of about 182 units, and Saudi Arabia has purchased 72 of its own.

Although the FH70 continues to be used worldwide, its days as a front-line system, at least by Western standards, appear to be numbered as several key project workers have abandoned the product (usually artillery) even with major The military maintains consistent service). Still, for some nations, the weapon still works well on the modern digitally controlled battlefield.