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Panter (Panther)

2002 MODERN

History of the Black Panther

Many modern militaries revolve around the tried and true doctrine of heavy artillery and close air support to complement the vanguard of mechanized vehicles and troops. As a result, most of these units rely on large-caliber field weapons to meet the needs of the artillery segmentthis includes huge explosive shells dropped from far behind the front lines. This artillery can be used to disrupt key enemy defenses and disperse troop buildups, while also posing a threat to armor. Therefore, in 2002, the Turkish Army received the 155mm towed artillery system "Black Panther" ("Panther") to replace its stockpile of older weapons of American origin, which were modernized as much as possible. Panter started the design phase in the 1990s under the direction of MKEK (Mechanical and Chemical Industries) (with the help of ST Kinetics in Singapore), the part went through the necessary tests and was officially put into service at the turn of the century.

So far (2012) ) has procured 255 systems, of which a total of 400 are expected to fill Turkish Army stocks. Pakistan also ordered about 30 units for its own army. Despite ST Kinetics' involvement, the Panter is widely regarded as the first "all-Turkish" towed gun.

The Singapore Army's "FH-2000" gun is similar in design to the Turkish Panther and functions in the same way as the Turkish Panther, which was launched in 1993 and undoubtedly influenced the Turkish derivatives.

The Panter is a complete towed artillery system, weighing 18,000 kg with a barrel length of 11.6 m. She is managed by six employees who manage her various functions - from aiming to loading to firing. The weapon is loaded through the breech end of the barrel by a semi-automatic intermittent helical action with an electric rammer function.

The weapon is cocked by a recoil system mounted on a slide. The carriage itself is a two-axle split track design with four rubber tire wheels (on each side), while the tracks serve as trailing arms during transport and recoil absorbing arms during firing. A large double-walled muzzle brake was added to the barrel to further dampen violent recoil.

A rather unique feature of the Panter's frame is its Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) - a 160 hp Deutz air-cooled diesel engine - which allows the weapon to traverse terrain using its own central power (not entirely reliant on a moving vehicle). Can be used to reposition the gun to another location without the need for a dedicated mobile vehicle. In this mode of transport, the artillery system becomes its own vehicle, capable of moving over ideal surfaces at speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour.

In addition to being self-propelled, the Panter can also be transported in a conventional manner by means of a mobile vehicle.

Like other modern combat artillery systems, the Panter is tasked with firing a massive 155mm shell with a range of up to 40km, depending on the type of ammunition used. Additionally, using rockets to launch ammunition increases the range. The Panther is authorized to fire all supported NATO shells in the inventory, and the main hull is high-explosive (HE) in nature. Under normal conditions, a well-trained rifle crew can fire up to 6 rounds per minute.

The barrel can be moved 20 degrees left or right, rising from -3 degrees to +65 degrees. The Panther does not carry its own ammunition supply, but relies on ammunition supply vehicles stationed near the weapon. Ammunition dealers place cannonballs near the breech.

The special self-propelled gun component in service with the Panter in the Turkish army is the T-155 Firtina ("Storm"), based on the Korean K9 "Thunder" SPG/SPA.