G5 howitzer
| G5 | |
| Country Of Origin: | South Africa |
| Designation: | 155mm towed Howitzer |
| Manufacturer: | Denel |
| Weight: | 9.1 m |
| Length: | 2.3 m |
| height: | 13.75 t |
| Crew: | 8 |
| Max Fire Range: | 39 000 km |
The G5 is a South African-produced version of the GC-45 howitzer designed by Gerrald Bull and produced by DENEL. It is mounted on a slightly-modified version of the towed chassis design by NORICUM, which also includes a small APU to allow it to dig itself in and move short distances. Using the normal Extended Range, Full Bore ammunition the normal range is 39km, which can be extended to about 50km with the use of base bleed or rocket assisted rounds. It is regarded as one of the most potent artillery pieces on the modern battlefield.
The G5 gun has been placed on an Alvis 6x6 chassis to produce the fully self-propelled G6 howitzer, and won major export sales in this form to the United Arab Emirates and Oman. It has also been fitted into a turret that can be placed on any suitable vehicle. The turret is marketed as the T6 which has already being fitted on the T-72 and a 4 x 4 wheeled truck.
Production history
The South African Army at the start of the Angolan conflict was equipped with WW2 artillery pieces, notable the British 25 pounder or 140 mm. With the help of canadain Gerald Bull and his company, Space Research Corporation they developed the GC-45 howitzer. Deliveries of the G5 (developed from the GC-45) started in 1982.
Variants
- G5 MkI
- G5 MkIII
- G5 MkIII
Operators
- South Africa
- Israel
- Iraq (100 systems) plus GC-45 supplied directy from Space Research Corporation