Autor fotografie: GDELS/KNDS Deutschland, Public domain|Popisek: AGM on PIRANHA IV
Switzerland has chosen a solution for its artillery in the form of a new self-propelled howitzer from KNDS Deutschland and GDELS: the 155mm AGM on the PIRANHA-IV armoured personnel carrier platform.
The national procurement agency armasuisse announced last week that KNDS Deutschland together with General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) has been selected to provide the Swiss Army’s new artillery system, which will combine the 155 mm AGM from KNDS with the PIRANHA IV from GDELS. A corresponding procurement request will be submitted to parliament next year.
The PIRANHA IV Heavy Mission Carrier and AGM
The PIRANHA IV Heavy Mission Carrier is a 10x10 version of the proven PIRANHA family, already in use by the Swiss Army, that combines high payload and volume with low axle loads and excellent agility. The five axles, four of which are steered, ensure unparalleled mobility and recoil absorption particularly during shooting while scooting, high trench crossing capabilities and a turning circle of less than 18.5 meters. In the artillery variant, the vehicle accommodates the two-person crew and an optional third crew member with their equipment.
The gun module itself is unmanned; loading and aiming of the weapon system are fully automated. The PIRANHA platform enables the system not only to be deployed independently on road, but also to quickly change firing positions even in rough terrain. Together with the AGM, rapid opening of fire without preparation, shooting on the move, direct aiming and 360° fire are possible. The system has excellent shoot and scoot and MRSI (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact) capability. Its modularity makes the AGM system ideal for integration into a variety of mobile platforms.
“We are very proud to have contributed to such an innovative system within a short period of time and to support our domestic customer out of our Swiss production sites. AGM on PIRANHA IV is the newest member of the mission-proven PIRANHA family and will ensure a significant capability increase for the Swiss Army,” says Giuseppe Chillari, Managing Director of GDELS - Mowag. Dr. Thomas Kauffmann, GDELS Vice President for Global Sales, adds: “The unmatched performance of the AGM on the PIRANHA IV in terms of firepower, precision strike and maneuverability sets a new standard in the area of indirect fires. We are confident that this latest member of the PIRANHA family will also succeed internationally.”
Replacement for M109 – better range, higher rate of fire and lower cost
The Swiss Army has a number of versions of PIRANHA vehicles on 6x6 and 8x8 chassis, the most common being the PIRANHA II C 8x8 armoured personnel carrier from the 1990s. The artillery system from KNDS Deutschland and GDELS is intended to replace the US M109 self-propelled tracked howitzers as the new backbone of the Swiss Army's self-propelled artillery. These have been in Swiss service for more than 50 years, since 1971 to be precise, longer than the Czechoslovak and Czech armies have deployed the DANA cannon howitzers There are currently 133 units in service in the modernized version of the M109 KAWEST WE (since 2009)
The M109s are armed with a Swiss howitzer from RUAG. It is a weapon with a barrel length of 47 calibres and a range of up to 36 km. The system is manned by six gunners, can fire three rounds in 15 seconds and maintain a cadence of one round under a minute. The AGM is based on the German PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer, with the aim of achieving the same performance at lower cost and air transportability. Its weapon is a Rheinmetall howitzer with a 52 calibres long barrel and, depending on the type of ammunition used, it has a range of 30–54 km The first three shots can be fired in nine seconds. In tests in 2006, it fired a volley of ten shells in 2 minutes and 19 seconds.
Source: GDELS, KNDS Deutschland