Next year, Ukraine should receive a powerful self-propelled howitzer RCH-155 from Germany, capable of aiming fire while moving.
What is known about the German self-propelled howitzer RCH-155 for Ukraine
The managing director of the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann manufacturing company, Axel Scheibel, confirmed the intention to transfer these new German-made self-propelled guns to Ukraine.
He noted that production has already begun, and Ukraine will be able to receive the first self-propelled guns at the end of next year.
Scheibel added that Ukraine will be the first customer of this new German equipment.
The RCH-155 is similar to the Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer but is mounted on a Boxer-wheeled vehicle. Scheibel noted that the RCH-155 gun module fires 155-millimeter artillery ammunition while moving, making it unique worldwide.
The fact that this self-propelled gun does not need to stop to fire its rounds has enormous advantages as it makes it difficult to detect and counter.
The RCH-155 can automatically fire nine rounds per minute that hit targets at a distance of 40 to 50 km or even more, depending on the type of ammunition.
What is known about the characteristics of the RCH-155 self-propelled howitzer
RCH 155 was developed by the German concern Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and presented in 2014.
The SPH has a 52-calibre barrel (8 m), an automatic charging system with ammunition of 30 equipped shells and 144 modular projectile charges.
This is a closed-type gun on a wheeled chassis built based on components and assemblies of the German-Dutch Boxer multi-purpose armoured personnel carrier. The crew shots remotely in the self-propelled howitzer's cabin. The possibility of fire charging in manual mode is also provided.
