| AH4 Lightweight Towed Howitzer | |
|---|---|
| Type | Howitzer |
| Place of origin | China |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4,500 kg (9,900 lb)[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 (15.53 mi) ERFB-Base Bleed/HE: 30 km (18.6 mi) base bleed ERFB-Rocket Assist/HE: 40 km (25 mi) LGP GP6: 25 km (15.53 mi) |
The towed AH4 howitzer is a Chinese artillery 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 4,500 kg, compared to a traditional system that can weigh 18,000 kg,[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 howitzer system, it possesses a range of engagement of up to 40 km using rocket-assisted projectiles.[2]
Because of its weight, the AH4 can be used in mountain warfare, which traditionally had to use pack howitzers like the OTO Melara Mod 56.[3]
Design[]
The body of the system has forward stabilizers as well as spades and dampers.[4] It has a cannon that can fire 155mm/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 shooting at 2 rounds per minute.
Variants[]
- AHS-4: a 3,000 kg 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[]
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". https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_security_2015_news_official_online_show_daily_coverage_report/china_presents_its_ah4_155mm_lightweight_towed_howitzer_as_counterpart_of_american_m777_10411153.html.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "China completes development of 155 mm AH4 howitzer | IHS Jane's 360". http://www.janes.com/article/62341/china-completes-development-of-155-mm-ah4-howitzer.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "NORINCO is ready to produce the AH4 lightweight howitzer" (in en-US). 19 July 2016. http://quwa.org/2016/07/19/norinco-ready-produce-ah4-lightweight-howitzer/.
- ↑ 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" (in en-gb). http://armyrecognition.com/defense_security_2015_news_official_online_show_daily_coverage_report/china_presents_its_ah4_155mm_lightweight_towed_howitzer_as_counterpart_of_american_m777_10411153.html.
- ↑ "中国Ah4型155毫米超轻型榴弹炮". http://www.zgjunshi.com/Article/Class38/Class39/Class150/200802/20080216151624.html.
- ↑ "Chinese AH-4 Howitzer Wins First Middle-East Export Order". 31 October 2016. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161101120207/http://www.defenseworld.net/news/17507/Chinese_AH_4_Howitzer_Wins_First_Middle_East_Export_Order. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
- ↑ Foss, Christpher F (28 February 2019). "UAE confirms Chinese 155 mm AH4 gun-howitzer acquisition". Abu Dhabi. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190301204816/https://www.janes.com/article/86928/uae-confirms-chinese-155-mm-ah4-gun-howitzer-acquisition. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
The original article can be found at Norinco AH4 155 mm howitzer and the edit history here.