GCT 155mm
Encyclopedia
The GCT 155mm is a modern self-propelled artillery vehicle currently in use by the armies of France
and Saudi Arabia
. It replaced the former Mk F3 155mm in French Army
service. The GCT 155mm's primary advancement is that it incorporates and provides nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC
) protection for its crew of four, while the former Mk F3 155mm
offered no protection and could carry only two of its four crew members. Though 60% heavier than the American M109
, the GCT 155mm is both faster, and incorporates a more sophisticated fire control system. The GTC 155mm saw combat with the Iraqi Army
in the Iran-Iraq War
.
(MBT) chassis and equipped with a 155mm 39-caliber gun with an auto-loading system, giving a rate of fire
of 8 rounds per minute, and a sustained rate of fire of 6 rounds per minute. It is also equipped with a roof-mounted 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun. The AUF1 has an effective range of 23,500 meters firing conventional rounds and 28,000 meters using Rocket Assisted Projectile
s (RAPs).
The first production AUF1s were delivered exclusively to the Saudi Arabian Army
, while the French Army received their first deliveries in 1980, deploying the GTC 155mm AUF1 in regiments of 18 guns each. In addition, the Iraqi Army
received a small number of GTC 155mm AUF1 variants in 1980, which they employed during the Iran-Iraq War
.
. It was initially developed to upgrade the GTC 155mm AUF1 self-propelled howitzers then in service with the French Army. The French Army has procured approximately 70 AUF2 turrets and mounted them on the AMX30B2 chassis.
Improvements in the AUF2 include an all-new automatic round and charge feed system and a new 52-caliber artillery tube. New charges and rounds are also available for the AUF2. The AUF2 is equipped with a 7.62mm anti-aircraft machine gun located at the roof of the turret. The AUF2 turret, including the gun and loading systems, weighs nearly 19 tons. Compared with the AUF1, the AUF2 offers a significantly improved range of 42 km, a higher rate of fire of 10 rounds/minute and multiple rounds simultaneous impact. In use, the weapon system has been found to have greater reliability, accuracy and ease of maintenance.
155mm continues to be the most deployed self-propelled artillery vehicle in the world (over 4,000 have been produced, and it is currently in use with over 30 nations), the GCT 155m offers significant improvements over the older American design. Despite being considerably larger and heavier than the American design (41,949 kg compared to 23,723 kg), the GCT 155mm's sophisticated auto-loading system allows it to operate with a crew of four enclosed within a relatively spacious interior, while the M109 requires a crew of six operating in comparatively cramped quarters. With a maximum road speed of 60 km/h the GTC 155mm is also 4 km/h faster than the M109. The unrefueled range of the GCT 155mm is 450 km, while the unrefueled range of the M109 is 390 km. Despite numerous upgrades, only the completely redesigned M109A6 Paladin compares favorably to the GCT 155mm, but at a significantly greater cost.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. It replaced the former Mk F3 155mm in French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
service. The GCT 155mm's primary advancement is that it incorporates and provides nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC
NBC suit
An NBC suit is a type of military personal protective equipment designed to provide protection against direct contact with and contamination by radioactive, biological or chemical substances, and provides protection from contamination with radioactive materials and some types of radiation,...
) protection for its crew of four, while the former Mk F3 155mm
Mk F3 155mm
The 155 mm self-propelled gun Mk F3, or the Canon de 155 mm Mle F3 Automoteur , was developed in the early 1950s by the French Army to replace their American M41 Gorilla 155mm self-propelled guns. The Mk F3 is the smallest and lightest 155mm motorized gun carriage ever produced, and because of its...
offered no protection and could carry only two of its four crew members. Though 60% heavier than the American M109
M109 howitzer
The M109 is an American-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It was upgraded a number of times to today's M109A6 Paladin...
, the GCT 155mm is both faster, and incorporates a more sophisticated fire control system. The GTC 155mm saw combat with the Iraqi Army
Iraqi Army
The Iraqi Army is the land component of the Iraqi military, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I....
in the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
.
History
Though the French Mk 3 155mm would remain in production through the 1980s, by the early 1970s the French Army realized there was an urgent need for its replacement. The Mk. 3 155mm lacked an automatic loading system, but more importantly it lacked nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) protection for its crew, and could carry only two of the four crew members needed to operate it (the remaining two having to be transported in support vehicles). Development of the GCT 155mm began in the early 1970s, and the first production version, known as the AUF1, was introduced in 1977. About 400 have been produced, with 70 having been upgraded to the AUF2 variant.AUF1
The GCT 155mm AUF1 is based on the AMX30 main battle tankMain battle tank
A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...
(MBT) chassis and equipped with a 155mm 39-caliber gun with an auto-loading system, giving a rate of fire
Rate of fire
Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. It is usually measured in rounds per minute , or per second .-Overview:...
of 8 rounds per minute, and a sustained rate of fire of 6 rounds per minute. It is also equipped with a roof-mounted 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun. The AUF1 has an effective range of 23,500 meters firing conventional rounds and 28,000 meters using Rocket Assisted Projectile
Rocket Assisted Projectile
A Rocket Assisted Projectile is an artillery or cannon round incorporating a rocket motor for independent propulsion. This grants the projectile both greater speed and range than an ordinary shell, which is propelled only by the ballistic force of the gun's exploding charge...
s (RAPs).
The first production AUF1s were delivered exclusively to the Saudi Arabian Army
Saudi Arabian Army
The Saudi Arabian Army , also called Royal Saudi Land Force . Is a branch of the Saudi Armed Forces. The total number of active troops is estimated to be 233,500The current Chief of the Saudi General Staff is Field Marshal Saleh Al-Muhaya....
, while the French Army received their first deliveries in 1980, deploying the GTC 155mm AUF1 in regiments of 18 guns each. In addition, the Iraqi Army
Iraqi Army
The Iraqi Army is the land component of the Iraqi military, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I....
received a small number of GTC 155mm AUF1 variants in 1980, which they employed during the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
.
AUF2
The AUF2 is an improved turret for the GCT 155mm designed and built by GIAT. The AUF2 155mm howitzer and turret are designed for integration onto a wider range of armored chassis such as AMX30, Leopard 1, Arjun and T-72T-72
The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1970. It is developed directly from Obyekt-172, and shares parallel features with the T-64A...
. It was initially developed to upgrade the GTC 155mm AUF1 self-propelled howitzers then in service with the French Army. The French Army has procured approximately 70 AUF2 turrets and mounted them on the AMX30B2 chassis.
Improvements in the AUF2 include an all-new automatic round and charge feed system and a new 52-caliber artillery tube. New charges and rounds are also available for the AUF2. The AUF2 is equipped with a 7.62mm anti-aircraft machine gun located at the roof of the turret. The AUF2 turret, including the gun and loading systems, weighs nearly 19 tons. Compared with the AUF1, the AUF2 offers a significantly improved range of 42 km, a higher rate of fire of 10 rounds/minute and multiple rounds simultaneous impact. In use, the weapon system has been found to have greater reliability, accuracy and ease of maintenance.
Comparison to M109
Though the M109 howitzerM109 howitzer
The M109 is an American-made self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It was upgraded a number of times to today's M109A6 Paladin...
155mm continues to be the most deployed self-propelled artillery vehicle in the world (over 4,000 have been produced, and it is currently in use with over 30 nations), the GCT 155m offers significant improvements over the older American design. Despite being considerably larger and heavier than the American design (41,949 kg compared to 23,723 kg), the GCT 155mm's sophisticated auto-loading system allows it to operate with a crew of four enclosed within a relatively spacious interior, while the M109 requires a crew of six operating in comparatively cramped quarters. With a maximum road speed of 60 km/h the GTC 155mm is also 4 km/h faster than the M109. The unrefueled range of the GCT 155mm is 450 km, while the unrefueled range of the M109 is 390 km. Despite numerous upgrades, only the completely redesigned M109A6 Paladin compares favorably to the GCT 155mm, but at a significantly greater cost.