AH4 howitzer
| AH4 Lightweight Towed Howitzer | |
|---|---|
| Type | Towed howitzer |
| Place of origin | China |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 2016–present |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.5 t (4.4 long tons; 5.0 short tons)[1] |
| Crew | 7 |
| Shell | 155mm ERFB-HB/HE, ERFB-Base Bleed/HE, ERFB-Rocket Assist/HE, Laser Guided GP6 |
| Caliber | 155 mm (6.1 in) |
| Carriage | split trail |
| Elevation | −3° to +72° |
| Effective firing range | ERFB-HB/HE: 25 km (16 mi) ERFB-Base Bleed/HE: 30 km (19 mi) base bleed ERFB-Rocket Assist/HE: 40 km (25 mi) LGP GP6: 25 km (16 mi) |
The AH4 howitzer is a Chinese 155 mm towed howitzer system manufactured by Norinco.[2] Its main characteristic is that it has been designed to be lightweight, which allows greater tactical mobility. The weight of 4.5 t (4.4 long tons; 5.0 short tons), compared to a traditional system that can weigh 18 t (18 long tons; 20 short tons),[3] allows the system to be airlifted via heavy-lift helicopters like the CH-47 or Mi-26, or transport aircraft like a C-130 or Y-8. Also, as a modern towed howitzer system, it possesses a range of engagement of up to 40 km (25 mi) using rocket-assisted projectiles.[2]
Design
The body of the system has forward stabilizers as well as spades and dampers.[4] It has a cannon that can fire 155mm L/39 calibre shells with an elevation angle from -3° up to 72° with a traverse limit of 22°. The hydro-pneumatic suspension allows for quick deployment of around 3 minutes and packing in 2 minutes.
AH4 has an initial rate of fire up to 5 rounds per minute, and with continuous firing at 2 rounds per minute.
Variants
- AHS-4: a 3.5–3.8 t (3.4–3.7 long tons; 3.9–4.2 short tons) variant that is designed for mountain warfare.[5]
Export to the United Arab Emirates
According to Defense World, in 2016 Norinco's AH4-155 won its first export order from an unidentified customer from the Middle East, it beat the M-777 counterpart from BAE systems.[6] In February 2019, the United Arab Emirates confirmed it had procured the AH4 howitzers, and that it had received at least one batch of six systems.[7]
Comparable howitzers
- M777 howitzer – British/American 155 mm towed artillery
References
- ^ "China presents its AH4 155mm lightweight towed howitzer as counterpart of American M777 10411153 | Defense Security 2015 News Official Online Show Daily Coverage Report | Defence security military exhibition 2015".
- ^ a b "China completes development of 155 mm AH4 howitzer | IHS Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- ^ "NORINCO is ready to produce the AH4 lightweight howitzer". quwa.org. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- ^ Administrator. "China presents its AH4 155mm lightweight towed howitzer as counterpart of American M777 10411153 | Defense Security 2015 News Official Online Show Daily Coverage Report | Defence security military exhibition 2015". armyrecognition.com. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- ^ "中国Ah4型155毫米超轻型榴弹炮". www.zgjunshi.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-18.
- ^ "Chinese AH-4 Howitzer Wins First Middle-East Export Order". Defense World. 31 October 2016. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
- ^ Foss, Christpher F (28 February 2019). "UAE confirms Chinese 155 mm AH4 gun-howitzer acquisition". Jane's 360. Abu Dhabi. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.