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SP-122 SPG

1995 MODERN SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY

History of SP-122 SPG

The SP-122 is an American designed and developed weapon for the Egyptian Army. The work was carried out by BMY Combat Systems (now United Defense LP) and took on the role of a self-propelled howitzer (SPH), with a 122mm caliber main gun mounted in a fixed superstructure on a US M109A2 SPH tracked chassis. Instead of going straight to the 155mm M109, it was decided to install the Soviet D-30 series guns on the vehicle production line, which were already licensed locally in Egypt.

As such, the gun has a ready supply of ammunition that justifies long-term use logistically. By 2000, a total of 124 units of this model were completed and delivered in three production batches.

The shape of the vehicle is basically the same as the M109, with the main exceptions being the smaller caliber main gun and the fixed superstructure. Without a turret - which simplifies manufacturing and maintenance - once the vehicle is outside the lateral reach of the turret, it must rotate to face the intended target area.

The traverse of the artillery system is limited to 30 degrees from the center, while the elevation range is -5 to +70 degrees.

As a howitzer-based battlefield system, the SP-122 fires projectiles indirectly at the target location without the need for line-of-sight like a field gun. When using conventional projectiles, the gun has a range of just over 15 kilometers, although Rocket Assisted Projectiles (RAPs) increase that range slightly further. A multi-baffle muzzle brake was installed on the business end of the gun to deal with the violent recoil effect of such a large caliber gun (in addition to the integral recoil mechanism already installed near the tail). A barrel clip attaches to the front end of the glacis plate, securing the main gun while traveling.

Machine guns for local anti-aircraft can be mounted on top of the turret. The five crew consisted of a driver in the forward left of the hull and the commander, gunner and two loaders in the superstructure. The 500x12.7mm bullet carries the 85x122mm projectile.

Power is provided by a Detroit Diesel 8V-71T turbocharged 8-cylinder 405 hp diesel engine mounted to the front right of the fuselage. With its track arrangement and torsion bar suspension, the SP-122 offers a maximum road speed of 40 mph and a range of 215 miles. The landing gear includes seven rubber tire wheels with a front drive sprocket and a rear track idler.

Track return rollers are not used.

The dimensions of the SP-122 include an overall length of 6.9 meters, a width of 3.15 meters and a height of 2.8 meters. The combat weight is 23,180 kg.