foto: GDELS, Public domain/SIAC
General Dynamics European Land System – Santa Bárbara Sistemas (GDELS-SBS) has reactivated its manufacturing capabilities of large caliber gun barrels, as a response to the increased demand for modern, efficient artillery. This revival reflects the company's continued commitment to national as well as international defense and security requirements.
The Trubia factory (Asturias, Spain), with more than 200 years of knowhow and tradition in the manufacture of cannons, has recently manufactured a vast range of large-caliber gun barrels, including 120mm, 105mm, and 155mm for main battle tanks and artillery. “Operational experience from ongoing military confrontation demonstrate the renewed relevance of artillery as well as main battle tanks. GDELS-SBS is one of the few European companies that has preserved the knowledge and capabilities to manufacture gun barrels of the most demanded calibers for both weapon systems,” said Juan A. Escriña, General Director of GDELS-SBS.
General Dynamics European Land System – Santa Bárbara Sistemas
In recent years, GDELS-SBS has manufactured more than two hundred 120mm gun barrels for the Leopard 2E main battle tank of the Spanish Army, over one hundred barrels for its SIAC 155/52 howitzer, both field and coastal artillery, as well as dozens of barrels for the 105 Light Gun, models L118 and L119.
GDELS-SBS is the only Spanish company and one of the few in the world with the capacity to manufacture, maintain, and modernize artillery systems accroding to today´s demanding standards. The company's long history and continuous innovation, as well as wide knowledge of artillery systems and armored vehicles, ensure persistent conformance with changing battlefield requirements and constitute a benachmark to successfully satisfy rightful customer expectations in view of quality and operational performance.
The SIAC towed howitzer
The SIAC is a state of the art 155/52 caliber towed howitzer with self-propelled capabilities thanks to its integrated APU (Auxiliary Power Unit).This advanced design meets the most demanding requirements of modern field artillery and coastal defense missions. It features rapid deployability, excellent first round hit probability and a swift "shoot and scoot" capability for higher survivability. The Automatic Gun Laying System (AGLS), the Digital Navigation Aiming and Pointing System (DINAPS) and the Fully Automatic Ramming System (FIRS) are integrated in the SIAC to provide superior performance on the battlefield. The first two can be also integrated in other indirect weapon systems (mortar, rocket launchers, etc.).
The ballistic computer provides fast fire data for all NATO compatible ammunition and offers ranges of over 40km and up to 60 km. The weapon systems offer maximum burst rates per minute and high MRSI (Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact). The APU provides the SIAC with independent tactical maneuverability enabling it to reach the desired position, regardless of the terrain, and to offer a fast “shoot and scoot” capability.
SIAC integrates several applications that improve its performance on the battlefield: An Automatic Gun Laying System (AGLS), a Digital Navigation Aiming and Pointing System (DINAPS) and a Fully Automatic Ramming System (FIRS). SIAC also incorporates a Ballistic Computer which provides fast firing data calculations to optimize the ammunition selection. Finally, the SIAC can be integrated within a Command and Control system (C2 to C4ISR). SIAC is suitable for forming part of a net-centric defense solution which integrates multiple weapon systems that can be operated simultaneously. SIAC is a perfect fit for Coastal Defense.
Tagy