14 DAY TRIAL // Howitzers are one of the most effective weapons in conventional wars around the world. They are artillery weapons, originally intended for use in siege warfare which made a name for themselves through their ability of delivering cast-iron shells filled with gunpowder or incendiary materials into the interior of fortifications.
Not even the most heavily fortified military building can withstand the immense power of the German Panzerhaubitze 2000, the world's most advanced cannon artillery system. The name means Armored Howitzer 2000 and it's a 155mm self-propelled howitzer developed for the German Armed Forces.
The tremendous power of this weapon has been first tested by the Dutch Army in August of 2006 against Taliban targets in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, where the PzH 2000 fired rapid burst barrages ranging from three rounds in 10 seconds to 13 rounds per minute, at a maximum distance of 18 miles, which was increased to an astonishing 34 miles by using "smart" rounds.
At this range, no other ground weapon could outfire this howitzer or hide from it, as shells kept pouring out of the sky. But how exactly does it work?
This is an armored vehicle, actually a cannon mounted on a 11.7 m (38.4 feet) long and 3.6 m (11.8 feet) wide tank platform, weighing 55.3 tons combat loaded. This impressive size doesn't mean it's slow, on the contrary.
The 986 hp engine can propel this canon to a maximum speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) for 420 km, making it agile and easy to deploy in various key points of the battlefield, in a matter of minutes. The fact that the 5 men crew can load 60 shells and propelling charges in less than 12 minutes is definitely bad news for those standing at the wrong end of the 150mm main gun.
Barrel overheating is usually a big problem at higher rates of fire, but German engineering was able to overcome it by using a chromium lining on the inside of the 8 meter canon, which can dissipate heat much more effectively.
Considerable armor protection and a 7.62mm secondary machine gun, combined with superb cross-country performance, make this weapon one of the most effective war machines ever designed and prove that German excellence in engineering is not limited to their cars and limousines.