Isselmere
16-06-2005, 00:34
L25 Boar 155mm, 52-calibre (L52) self-propelled howitzer(SPH)
The Royal Isselmere-Nieland Ordnance factory's L25 155mm self-propelled howitzer was designed to replace Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall Landsysteme's superlative PzH 2000.
The L25 provides the Royal Isselmere-Nieland Corps of Artillery with a better armoured, quicker, and even more precise weapon than they had before. Like its predecessor, the L25's 155mm, 52-calibre gun has been chromium-plated to reduce wear on the rifling and is fitted with a forward-slotted muzzle that not only reduces the muzzle flash -- very important in avoiding counter-battery fire -- but gives the shell greater muzzle velocity by channelling the chemical energy from the modular charges behind the shell rather than simply outward. The gun is fitted with sensors within its outer cooling sleeve that monitor the barrel temperature and alert the crew to any unusual stresses suffered by the barrel. The cooling sleeve permits the L25 to maintain higher rates of fire in the sustained role. The muzzle velocity is monitored by a low-powered, low-probability of intercept (LP-LPI) radar and is automatically collected for fire-control computation.
The breech mechanism of the howitzer has been strengthened and the breech volume increased to permit the loading of up to seven modular charges by the six-zone automatic modular charge loading system. It must be stressed that such powerful loads should only be done infrequently and at low rates of fire as it seriously decreases barrel life. The breech is a semi-automatic lifting breech mechanism with improved insensitivity to involuntary ignition and heat dissipation, preventing dangerous "cook-offs". With cleaner burning charges and improved charge bags, it has been possible to introduce an effective laser priming mechanism (LPM). The power of the laser is determined automatically by the number of charges loaded as well as the insensitivity of the charges to ignition. An automatic integrated primer loading device with a thirty-six (36) primer magazine may be fitted for those nations desiring a more conventional ignition source.
Shells are loaded automatically using an ammunition management system operated by the gunner to select a variety of shells from the L25's armoured sixty-shell central magazine within the hull to a four-shell heavily armoured sub-magazine by a 64-volt loader permitting an astonishing fire rate of up to four shells down range in just over ten seconds (10.4 seconds), twelve shells in about 57 seconds (56.64 seconds), and twenty shells in about a minute, 43 seconds. The modular charges are loaded semi-automatically as well by a similar process. Combined with the turret's advanced automatic electrical operating mechanisms allowing swift traverse and elevation and improved recoil dampeners, the L25 may place those four shells on target simultaneously, giving your opposition little to no chance to respond. A semi-automatic system is provided as a back-up.
The use of modular charges (INO37) permits safer and speedier handling along with improved range whilst incurring less wear upon the barrel lining. With five modules, unassisted shells may be fired at ranges of up to 25 km are possible, with six modules, up to 32 km, and seven, up to about 37 km. Assisted base-bleed (BB) shells can be fired up to a range of about 43 km using six modules, and extended range guided munitions (ERGM) to a range of up to 80 km.
The L25 may be fully reloaded from a fast armoured artillery support vehicle (which shall appear later in this post) by the two operators in about eleven minutes.
The gun positioning and laying system automatically determines the appropriate gun direction, position, and elevation in accordance with the coordinates set by the gunner and may be set to provide simultaneous impact of four-shell barrages, range permitting. The L25 is equipped with a jam-resistant global positioning system, a platform locator/director system (for the use of battery and higher commanders), and a clever inertial navigation system to ensure that the vehicle always knows where it is and that the rounds impact on target.
The L25 may receive targetting information through the Brono tactical land forces datalink from: the battery control vehicle; the battery's drone control vehicle or directly from the drone; army air corps helicopters; and from infantry and armoured units. Its advanced gun laying system permits the gun to strike targets on the move as well as saturate a target area swiftly and effectively.
Countermeasures have not been forgotten on the L25. It has been equipped with a land-based identification friend or foe (IFF) system, with laser homing and warning and radar warning systems (LHWR and RWR), with 70mm grenade launchers to fire anti-personnel or wide-spectrum defeating grenade countermeasures, with a turret-mounted active, automatic rotating four-cell anti-projectile grenade launching system, and an electro-static discharge system (ESDS) that can pre-detonate munitions prior to impacting upon or over the vehicle.* The armour of the L25 can defeat 20mm rounds and shell fragments from 155mm rounds. The hull bottom has been strengthened against mines and improvised explosive devices with titanium-vanadium-aluminium (TVA) alloy plating, which protects the ammunition, charges, and crew stations.
The L25's turret may equip naval vessels in the future.
Characteristics
Crew: 5 (commander, driver, gunner, 2 loaders)
Dimensions: Length: 8.2m (hull only), 11.72m (gun forward); Width: 3.76m; Height: 3.16m; Ground clearance: 0.50m
Ground pressure: 0.9 kg/cm^2
Power-to-weight ratio: 15.16 kW/t
Mass: 62,000 kg (combat loading)
Propulsion: 940 kW (1,260 shp) IMW LMM-54T multi-fuel-electric (MFE) four-stroke 12-cylinder 90-degree inline-V (i.e. liquid cooled)
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, 1 reverse.
Reservoirs: Fuel: 2,008 litres; oil: 167 litres; coolant: 202 litres
Speed: Land: burst: 65 km/h (road); standard maximum: 60 km/h; cruise: 45 km/h; cross-country (maximum): 52 km/h; reverse: 15 km/h.
Range (at cruise speed): 525 km.
Protection (values in RHA vs kinetic energy weapons):
Hull: Front: 360; sides: 220; top; 110; rear: 120
Turret: Front/glacis: 360; sides/rear; 220; top: 120
Restrictions:
Obstacles: Trenches: 3m wide; Walls: 1m
Grades (combat equipped): Forward: 65%; Side Slope: 38%
Weapons:
Howitzer: 155mm, 52-calibre howitzer; 60 shells in central magazine, 4 shells in ready-to-fire magazine; 36 primers in the breech's integrated automatic primer magazine; modular charges: 320)
Hull: 7.62mm heavy-barrel machine gun (1,500 rounds ready, 3,000 stowed); driver or loader operated
Turret: 12.7mm heavy-barrel heavy machine gun (remote; 250 rounds ready, 1,250 stowed)
Howitzer barrel life (estimated): 7 modular charges: 1,100 firings; 6 modular charges: 2,650; 5 modular charges: 5,500
Electronics:
tba
Countermeasures:
4 x 4 (turret) and 2 x 8 (hull) GLE.141 70mm grenade dispensers (smoke, fragmentation, other), rotating 4-cell GLE.200 70mm anti-missile grenade dispenser (on turret), GLQ.291 electro-static discharge system (turret)
Cost (Vehicle only): $6.6 million
The Royal Isselmere-Nieland Ordnance factory's L25 155mm self-propelled howitzer was designed to replace Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall Landsysteme's superlative PzH 2000.
The L25 provides the Royal Isselmere-Nieland Corps of Artillery with a better armoured, quicker, and even more precise weapon than they had before. Like its predecessor, the L25's 155mm, 52-calibre gun has been chromium-plated to reduce wear on the rifling and is fitted with a forward-slotted muzzle that not only reduces the muzzle flash -- very important in avoiding counter-battery fire -- but gives the shell greater muzzle velocity by channelling the chemical energy from the modular charges behind the shell rather than simply outward. The gun is fitted with sensors within its outer cooling sleeve that monitor the barrel temperature and alert the crew to any unusual stresses suffered by the barrel. The cooling sleeve permits the L25 to maintain higher rates of fire in the sustained role. The muzzle velocity is monitored by a low-powered, low-probability of intercept (LP-LPI) radar and is automatically collected for fire-control computation.
The breech mechanism of the howitzer has been strengthened and the breech volume increased to permit the loading of up to seven modular charges by the six-zone automatic modular charge loading system. It must be stressed that such powerful loads should only be done infrequently and at low rates of fire as it seriously decreases barrel life. The breech is a semi-automatic lifting breech mechanism with improved insensitivity to involuntary ignition and heat dissipation, preventing dangerous "cook-offs". With cleaner burning charges and improved charge bags, it has been possible to introduce an effective laser priming mechanism (LPM). The power of the laser is determined automatically by the number of charges loaded as well as the insensitivity of the charges to ignition. An automatic integrated primer loading device with a thirty-six (36) primer magazine may be fitted for those nations desiring a more conventional ignition source.
Shells are loaded automatically using an ammunition management system operated by the gunner to select a variety of shells from the L25's armoured sixty-shell central magazine within the hull to a four-shell heavily armoured sub-magazine by a 64-volt loader permitting an astonishing fire rate of up to four shells down range in just over ten seconds (10.4 seconds), twelve shells in about 57 seconds (56.64 seconds), and twenty shells in about a minute, 43 seconds. The modular charges are loaded semi-automatically as well by a similar process. Combined with the turret's advanced automatic electrical operating mechanisms allowing swift traverse and elevation and improved recoil dampeners, the L25 may place those four shells on target simultaneously, giving your opposition little to no chance to respond. A semi-automatic system is provided as a back-up.
The use of modular charges (INO37) permits safer and speedier handling along with improved range whilst incurring less wear upon the barrel lining. With five modules, unassisted shells may be fired at ranges of up to 25 km are possible, with six modules, up to 32 km, and seven, up to about 37 km. Assisted base-bleed (BB) shells can be fired up to a range of about 43 km using six modules, and extended range guided munitions (ERGM) to a range of up to 80 km.
The L25 may be fully reloaded from a fast armoured artillery support vehicle (which shall appear later in this post) by the two operators in about eleven minutes.
The gun positioning and laying system automatically determines the appropriate gun direction, position, and elevation in accordance with the coordinates set by the gunner and may be set to provide simultaneous impact of four-shell barrages, range permitting. The L25 is equipped with a jam-resistant global positioning system, a platform locator/director system (for the use of battery and higher commanders), and a clever inertial navigation system to ensure that the vehicle always knows where it is and that the rounds impact on target.
The L25 may receive targetting information through the Brono tactical land forces datalink from: the battery control vehicle; the battery's drone control vehicle or directly from the drone; army air corps helicopters; and from infantry and armoured units. Its advanced gun laying system permits the gun to strike targets on the move as well as saturate a target area swiftly and effectively.
Countermeasures have not been forgotten on the L25. It has been equipped with a land-based identification friend or foe (IFF) system, with laser homing and warning and radar warning systems (LHWR and RWR), with 70mm grenade launchers to fire anti-personnel or wide-spectrum defeating grenade countermeasures, with a turret-mounted active, automatic rotating four-cell anti-projectile grenade launching system, and an electro-static discharge system (ESDS) that can pre-detonate munitions prior to impacting upon or over the vehicle.* The armour of the L25 can defeat 20mm rounds and shell fragments from 155mm rounds. The hull bottom has been strengthened against mines and improvised explosive devices with titanium-vanadium-aluminium (TVA) alloy plating, which protects the ammunition, charges, and crew stations.
The L25's turret may equip naval vessels in the future.
Characteristics
Crew: 5 (commander, driver, gunner, 2 loaders)
Dimensions: Length: 8.2m (hull only), 11.72m (gun forward); Width: 3.76m; Height: 3.16m; Ground clearance: 0.50m
Ground pressure: 0.9 kg/cm^2
Power-to-weight ratio: 15.16 kW/t
Mass: 62,000 kg (combat loading)
Propulsion: 940 kW (1,260 shp) IMW LMM-54T multi-fuel-electric (MFE) four-stroke 12-cylinder 90-degree inline-V (i.e. liquid cooled)
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, 1 reverse.
Reservoirs: Fuel: 2,008 litres; oil: 167 litres; coolant: 202 litres
Speed: Land: burst: 65 km/h (road); standard maximum: 60 km/h; cruise: 45 km/h; cross-country (maximum): 52 km/h; reverse: 15 km/h.
Range (at cruise speed): 525 km.
Protection (values in RHA vs kinetic energy weapons):
Hull: Front: 360; sides: 220; top; 110; rear: 120
Turret: Front/glacis: 360; sides/rear; 220; top: 120
Restrictions:
Obstacles: Trenches: 3m wide; Walls: 1m
Grades (combat equipped): Forward: 65%; Side Slope: 38%
Weapons:
Howitzer: 155mm, 52-calibre howitzer; 60 shells in central magazine, 4 shells in ready-to-fire magazine; 36 primers in the breech's integrated automatic primer magazine; modular charges: 320)
Hull: 7.62mm heavy-barrel machine gun (1,500 rounds ready, 3,000 stowed); driver or loader operated
Turret: 12.7mm heavy-barrel heavy machine gun (remote; 250 rounds ready, 1,250 stowed)
Howitzer barrel life (estimated): 7 modular charges: 1,100 firings; 6 modular charges: 2,650; 5 modular charges: 5,500
Electronics:
tba
Countermeasures:
4 x 4 (turret) and 2 x 8 (hull) GLE.141 70mm grenade dispensers (smoke, fragmentation, other), rotating 4-cell GLE.200 70mm anti-missile grenade dispenser (on turret), GLQ.291 electro-static discharge system (turret)
Cost (Vehicle only): $6.6 million