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T-155 Firtina (Storm)

2002 MODERN SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY

History

The T-155 "Firtina" (translated as "Assault") is a variant of the Turkish self-propelled gun of the Korean K9 "Thunder" (manufactured by Samsung Techwin), with a sophisticated design and system elements that meet the requirements of the Turkish army. The T-155 features a traditional design with a powerful long-range 155mm main gun that acts as an artillery support role on a tracked chassis, providing strong off-road performance. To date, the T-155 has been actively used against rebels (PKK) near Iraq's northern border and remains an important part of modern Turkish tank doctrine. Design work on the T-155 (under a South Korean-Turkish government procurement agreement) began in 1998, after successful trials with the Turkish army, it entered production in 2001 and entered service in 2002. To date, more than 150 units have been delivered and an additional 200 are made to order.

Assembly will be carried out on site by the 1st Army Repair Center Command in Adapazari. The T-155 differs from South Korea in its improved turret structure and locally developed internals (fire control system (FCS), navigation and communications suite).

Compared to the ubiquitous American M109 SPG, German Pz 2000 and British AS-90 series, the T-155 follows the same form and function on the modern battlefield.

From the outside, the design layout of the T-155 is very traditional. The chassis has a system of tracks and wheels suspended on both sides of the hull. The engine is mounted on the right front of the vehicle, and the turret is located in the middle of the fuselage and cantilevered rearward (this provides the necessary interior maneuvering space for ammunition and crew). This provides the necessary support and clearance for the long-barreled barrel assembly, which is covered by a slotted muzzle brake and carried by a heavy-duty recoil system located at its base. The main gun was breech-loaded in the usual way, although in addition to its two manual loaders it was assisted by an automatic feeding mechanism.

Communication antennas were mounted externally on each corner of the top of the turret, and entry/exit hatches provided access to the anti-aircraft machine guns. The vehicle is driven by five people, with the driver sitting on the left front fuselage. The commander, gunner and two dedicated loaders are located in the turret. The 360-degree nature of the turret allows it to strike at all possible angles relative to the center of the hulla far cry from WWII self-propelled guns, which had a fixed superstructure that required the entire vehicle to be aimed at the target area.

Thus, the T-155 can fire when necessary and move to another area without having to turn forward. The entire firing process (setup and action) is said to take only 30 seconds, providing the Turkish Army with a sensible artillery solution.

The design of the T-155 focuses on the powerful 155mm L52 main gun (modified turret structure compared to the Korean K9). The weapon is an efficient and accurate long-range artillery weapon designed to deliver large-caliber shells at enemy target areas. The 155mm projectile is a massive bullet (requiring multiple crews) and can be armed with a variety of payloads beyond standard high-explosive (HE) rounds, including chemical, armor-piercing, anti-fortification, lighting, and smoke types. The weapon's long-range range allows the T-155 to operate well behind active-duty front lines and engage targets with relative impunity (assuming air superiority).

The main gun has a range of 40 km, but this depends on the type of ammunition fired and additional support for rocket-launched ammunition. The rear of the turret has access openings that can be opened to accept live ammunition and eject spent cartridges.

The T-155's self-defense against enemy infantry and low-altitude aircraft such as attack helicopters is provided by a heavy 12.7mm Browning machine gun. In transport mode, the main barrel is located in the included barrel lock, which prevents the barrel from moving.

The T-155 is powered by a German designed MTU-881 KA 500 diesel engine producing 1,000 hp (same as the K9 Thunder). This results in a top road speed of 40 mph and a range of 300 miles - specs that put it on par with modern Turkish mechanized forces.

This makes the T-155 a tactically flexible weapon system and greatly expands Turkey's military capabilities - an unsuccessful modern army cannot do without its 155mm self-propelled artillery system.

Outside of the Turkish army, the T-155 has attracted the interest of the Azerbaijani army - they are now ordering up to 40 of them. The Turkish authorities planned to develop an ammunition vehicle based on the successful T-155 chassis (without the turret and artillery system, of course). The ammunition cart will work with the T-155 to fire available projectiles directly through the rear of the turret for sustained fire.

This adds even more value to the already impressive T-155.

The Turkish army has been actively using its T-155 stockpile against Kurdish rebels since 2007, and has used T-155s to fire missiles into Syrian territory in response to attacks on its southern neighbor (linked to the 2011 Syrian popular uprising) ). ).