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The AS-90 ("
Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...
System for the 1990s"), known officially as Gun Equipment 155 mm L131, is an armoured
self-propelled artillery Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled ...
weapon used by the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
. It can fire standard charges up to using 39 calibre long barrel (comparable to Russian
2S19 Msta The 2S19 Msta (russian: Мста, after the Msta River) is a 152.4 mm self-propelled howitzer designed by the Soviet Union, which entered service in 1989 as the successor to the 2S3 Akatsiya. The vehicle has the running gear of the T-80, bu ...
) and with 52 cal. one. The max. rate of fire is 3 rounds in 10 seconds (burst), 6 per minute for 3 minutes (intense), and 2/min. for 60 minutes (sustained).


History

AS-90 was designed and built by the Armaments division of
Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering, Ltd (VSEL) was a shipbuilding company based at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria in northwest England that built warships, civilian ships, submarines and armaments. The company was historically the Naval Construct ...
(VSEL). Between 1992 and 1995, VSEL supplied 179 vehicles at a cost of £300 million ( $480 million). The AS-90 was first deployed by the British Army in 1993. The AS-90s were acquired to re-equip six of the eight self-propelled field artillery regiments (each of 24 guns) in the
I (BR) Corps I Corps ("First Corps") was an army corps in existence as an active formation in the British Army for most of the 80 years from its creation in the First World War until the end of the Cold War, longer than any other corps. It had a short-lived ...
, replacing the 105 mm
FV433 Abbot SPG FV433, 105mm, Field Artillery, Self-Propelled "Abbot" is the self-propelled artillery, or more specifically self-propelled gun (SPG), variant of the British Army FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), using much of the chassis of ...
and older M109 155 mm Self Propelled Gun and
FH70 The FH70 (field howitzer for the 1970s) is a towed howitzer in use with several nations. History In 1963, NATO agreed a NATO Basic Military Requirement 39 for close support artillery, either towed or tracked. Subsequently, Germany and UK sta ...
towed howitzer. In 1999, VSEL became a part of
BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenue ...
. In 1999, Marconi Electronic Systems was contracted to upgrade British Army AS-90s to include a 52 calibre gun in order to increase the range of the artillery. Critical to the programme was a bi-modular charge system from Somchem of South Africa (selected after extensive trials of ammunition from many suppliers), which offered greatly reduced barrel wear. However, this ammunition failed to meet the requirement for
insensitive munitions Insensitive munitions are munitions that are designed to withstand stimuli representative of severe but credible accidents. The current range of stimuli are shock (from bullets, fragments and shaped charge jets), heat (from fires or adjacent ther ...
and the project was terminated. It remains in UK service and equips three field regiments supporting armoured infantry brigades for the foreseeable future. In 2008, there were 134 AS-90 in service further reduced to 117 by 2015. In 2008 and 2009, a capability enhancement programme primarily upgraded AS-90's electronic system. The initial expected out-of-service date for the AS-90 had been 2030, but this was later delayed to 2032 with a replacement planned to enter service in 2029. On 24 April 2022, the ''
Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet ...
'' reported that AS-90s and 45,000 artillery rounds will be sent to Ukraine that was subsequently denied on 25 April by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.


Development

AS-90 started in the mid-1980s as a private venture on the gamble that the tri-national
SP70 SP70 (in German also ''Panzerhaubitze'' 70 or ''Panzerhaubitze'' 155-1) self-propelled gun was a scheme set up by several European nations including the UK, Germany and Italy beginning in 1973. The project was shelved in favour of the US M109, w ...
would fail. When this subsequently occurred, the
Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...
(MoD) issued a cardinal point specification on one page for a new 155 mm self-propelled gun. The MoD was also required to consider the US "Paladin", an upgraded
M109 howitzer The M109 is an American 155 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s to replace the M44. It has been upgraded a number of times, most recently to the M109A7. The M109 family is the most common Western indirect-f ...
. The MoD undertook studies in 2006–09 to "up-gun" the Royal Navy's main shipboard gun armament, the
4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun The 4.5 inch Mark 8 is a British naval gun system which currently equips the Royal Navy's destroyers and frigates, and some British destroyers and frigates sold to other countries. Background Guns with a 4.5 inch calibre have been th ...
, to accept 155mm ammunition from the AS-90. This would have introduced a common gun calibre for the British Army and
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
, helping with ammunition logistics, and encouraging joint Army-Navy development of extended-range and precision-guided shells. The Royal Navy did not adopt this gun system.


Design

In 1963 certain NATO nations, including the UK, agreed to a "Ballistics Memorandum of Understanding" for a 155 mm 39 calibre ordnance and a baseline
projectile A projectile is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found i ...
with the shape used for the US M549 rocket-assisted shell. The AS-90 uses a conforming 39 calibre barrel which fires the L15 unassisted projectile out to a range of 24.7 km. However, this was a new design of ordnance using a split sliding block
breech Breech may refer to: * Breech (firearms), the opening at the rear of a gun barrel where the cartridge is inserted in a breech-loading weapon * breech, the lower part of a pulley block * breech, the penetration of a boiler where exhaust gases leave ...
with Crossley obturation, instead of the more usual screw breech, to permit bagged charges (no metal cartridge cases). The breech mechanism has a primer magazine holding 18 primers. The standard ammunition is that designed for FH-70 (L15 HE and associated propelling charges) although in training the less effective but cheaper M107 with Green and White propelling charges is used. It is fitted with an auxiliary power unit to eliminate the need to run the main
engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...
to keep the batteries charged while stationary; electrical servos drive the automated elevation, traverse, magazine, shell transfer arm and loader as well as power for electronics and communications. The vehicle is fitted with an autonomous navigation and
gun laying A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washi ...
dynamic reference unit (DRU) mounted on the
trunnion A trunnion (from Old French "''trognon''", trunk) is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting or pivoting point. First associated with cannons, they are an important military development. Alternatively, a trunnion is a shaft that positions a ...
. All main turret functions are controlled by a Turret Control Computer (TCC) with control and display units for the No 1 (Detachment Commander), No 2 (loader) and No 3 (layer). The combination of the DRU, TCC and powered laying controls provide autolaying. Every gun is fitted with a radar Muzzle Velocity Measuring Device. Reversionary mode laying uses deflection laying via the direct fire sight. The gun can be brought into action fully closed down; the barrel can be clamped and unclamped from within the vehicle. In-to and out-of action times are less than 1 minute.


Specifications

* Crew: 5, on board when moving (driver plus 4 gun detachment), full gun detachment 10 including driver, 4 detachment members in the turret. * Length: 9.07 m * Width: 3.3 m * Height: 3.0 m * Armour: 17 mm (maximum, steel) * Weight: 45 tons * Calibre: 155 mm * Range: 24.9 km (39 cal), 30 km (52 cal) standard charges * Rate of fire: 3 rounds in 10 seconds (burst), 6 rounds per minute for 3 minutes (intense), 2 rounds per minute for 60 minutes (sustained) * Secondary armament: 7.62 mm L7 GPMG * Ammunition carried: 48 projectiles and charges (31 turret and 17 hull), 1000 MG rounds * Main engine:
Cummins Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...
VTA903T 660 bhp 90 degree V8, 4 stroke, liquid cooled, turbo
diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engi ...
* Max speed: 55 km/h (Road) * Vehicle range: 370 km or 231 mi (Road) * Ground clearance: 0.41 m; Gradient: 60°; Vertical obstacle: 0.75 m; Trench crossing: 2.8 m; Fording depth: 1.5 m


Variants

AS-90D :Modified for desert use. Thermal protection for crew and extra cooling for engine and machinery. Tracks adapted for reduced wear in sandy conditions. AS-90 "Braveheart" :Basically the AS-90, but fitted with the 52 calibre length gun. This project was terminated due to non-compliant propellant charges. Armatohaubica "Krab" – ("Cannon-howitzer
crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all th ...
") :Licensed "Braveheart" turret on a South Korean K9 Thunder SPG chassis, with modern "Azalia" BMS. Designed and integrated in Poland, by Huta Stalowa Wola and WB Electronics. Two ''Krab'' prototypes were built in 2001, and successfully completed all required evaluations and state acceptance trials. Initial serial production started in 2008, with eight units delivered to
Polish Land Forces The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stre ...
for testing. In 2014 production of Krab chassis was forwarded to
Samsung Techwin Hanwha Techwin (), founded as Samsung Techwin, is a video surveillance company. It is a subsidiary of Hanwha Group. The company employs 1,822 people and is headquartered in South Korea. Its total sales in 2020 were 529.8 billion South Korean wo ...
, which will provide 120 units, replacing Polish built UPG chassis in serial vehicles.


Operators

* British Army –
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
**
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the armoured field artillery role, and is equipped with the AS90 self-propelled gun. The regiment is currently based at L ...
. **
19th Regiment Royal Artillery 19th Regiment Royal Artillery – The Scottish Gunners (until 2012 The Highland Gunners) – is a Scottish regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently supports 12 Mechanised Brigade in the armoured field artillery role. Th ...
.


See also

*
Panzerhaubitze 2000 The Panzerhaubitze 2000 ("tank howitzer 2000"), () abbreviated PzH 2000, is a German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall in the 1980s and 1990s for the German Army. It is capable of a very h ...
, German 155mm artillery from Rheinmetall in service since 1998 *
M109 howitzer The M109 is an American 155 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s to replace the M44. It has been upgraded a number of times, most recently to the M109A7. The M109 family is the most common Western indirect-f ...
*
Type 99 155 mm self-propelled howitzer The is a self-propelled howitzer of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, which was developed as successor of the Type 75 155 mm Self-propelled howitzer. History The development of Type 99 self-propelled howitzer began in 1985 in order to re ...
*
G6 howitzer The G6, sometimes denoted as the G6 ''Rhino'', is a South African mine-protected self-propelled howitzer. It was developed as a turreted, self-propelled variant of the G5 howitzer series, mating the gun to a six-wheeled armoured chassis. Des ...
 – A South African 155mm self-propelled howitzer from Denel land systems


References

{{ModernUKAFVsNav , style= wide Self-propelled howitzers of the United Kingdom Self-propelled artillery of the Cold War 155 mm artillery Tracked self-propelled howitzers Military vehicles introduced in the 1990s