Soltam M-68

1970 COLD WAR MODERN

• 1 History of Soltam M-68
• 2 Soltam M-68 Specification
  • 2.1 Basic
  • 2.2 Roles
  • 2.3 Dimensions
  • 2.4 Performance
  • 2.5 Performance
  • 2.6 Armor
  • 2.7 Changes

History of Soltam M-68

The 155mm field gun was standardized by many armies in the mid-20th century. After the re-establishment of Israel, Soltam Systems was established in 1950 and supplied the Israeli Army in 1968 with the "M-68", a 155mm L33 towed howitzer system which continued to enjoy a healthy long service career.

It Also adopted by Singapore and Thailand countries.

The design of the Soltam was influenced by several original Finnish guns, and started to develop in-house in 1968. After passing the required government tests, the weapon was adopted as the M-68, and mass production and service began in 1970.

It underwent a "baptism of fire" during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

At the time of manufacture, the M-68 had many of the proven qualities found in other 155mm systems of the era. Four-wheeled heavy-duty "split" carts (forming the towing arms) were used to support and transport the 20,900-pound gun, which had a 16.8-foot barrel.

Projectiles are fed through a horizontal breech block. Mounting hardware allows the barrel to move between +/-20 degrees off centerline and -5 to +75 degrees in elevation, giving the gun a range of 13 miles using conventional (non-missile-assisted) projectiles.

A typical operator consists of eight employees.

When the M-68 howitzer was mated to the chassis of the classic American M4 Sherman medium tank and housed in a new rigid, boxy hull structure, it was also included in the Ro'em self-propelled gun ( SPG). The series of vehicles has since been retired from the Israeli army.

The Soltam M-71 (detailed elsewhere on this page) is a variant of the M-68 design with a pneumatically loaded hammer and a slightly longer barrel.

Soltam M-68 Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on the ammunition carrier.

Changes