G6 howitzer

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G6
G6 howitzer
Type	Self-propelled artillery
Place of origin	South Africa
Service history
Used by	South Africa, Oman, United Arab Emirates
Wars	South African Border War
Production history
Manufacturer	Denel
Produced	1987–
Specifications
Weight	47,000 kg (47 t)
Length	10.4 m
Width	3.4 m
Height	3.5 m
Crew	6 3–5 (G6-52 Extended Range)

Caliber	155 mm
Rate of fire	8 round/min (G6-52) 6 round/min (G6 M1A3) 4 round/min 2 round/min sustained
Effective range	30 km (standard HE) 39 km (base bleed rounds) 53 km (V-LAP rounds) 67 km M9703A1 V-LAP round
Maximum range	~70 km

Primary armament	155 mm howitzer (47 rounds)
Engine	air-cooled diesel 525 hp
Suspension	6×6
Speed	85 km/h (road) 30 km/h (off-road)

The G6 self-propelled howitzer is a South African artillery piece, developed around the ordnance of the G5 howitzer. It is one of the most powerful self-propelled guns on a wheeled chassis.

In addition to the logistical mobility afforded by a wheeled chassis, the G6 is protected against counter battery fire and is able to defend itself in an unsecured area.

The chassis is mine-protected. The G6 is produced by the LIW division of DENEL Corporation in South Africa. It entered production in 1987.

1 Ammunition characteristics
2 Variants
3 Operators
4 Combat history
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Ammunition characteristics

Maximum range:
- 30,000 m with standard HE rounds,
- 39,000 m with HE base bleed rounds, and
- 42,000 m with HE base bleed rounds (BB—fired from G6-52)
- 50,000 m with HE base bleed rounds (BB—fired from G6-52 Extended Range)
- 53,000 m with a special velocity-enhanced Long Range Projectile (V-LAP—fired from G6).
- 58,000 m with a special velocity-enhanced Long Range Projectile (V-LAP—fired from G6-52).
- 67,450 m M9703A1 V-LAP round (tested successfully to 73,000 m by Denel in G6-52 Extended Range platform)
Minimum range: 3,000 m.
Rate of fire: 4 round/min, 2 round/min sustained.
Ammunition: 155 mm ERFB. 47 rounds, 50 charges, 64 primers and fuzes.
Accuracy: 0.1 % of range in azimuth, 0.48 % of range in range.

[edit] Variants

G6
G6 M1A3: Exported UAE version
G6-52 (23 liter chamber)
G6-52 Extended Range (25 liter chamber)
- Reduced crew to 3–5;
- can fire projectile up to 67 km at a rate of fire of eight rounds/minute;
- increased off-road speeds to nearly 70 km/h;
- implemented Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) technology and can land six (G6-52L variant) or five (G6-52) rounds simultaneously at targets up to 25 km away; and
- is currently undergoing extensive trials.
G6 Marksman: a British SPAAG version, equipped with the Marksman turret.