The decision to create the AS-90 ACS for the British Army was made in 1986 after the curtailment of an international program to develop a 155 mm howitzer SP70. Vickers Shipbuilding and Senieering upgraded this easy-to-use howitzer to a modern AS-90 artillery rig.
The new howitzer was adopted in 1992, and the following year the Royal Artillery received the first serial samples from a total batch of 179 units ordered. The AS-90 replaced all other types of artillery, both self-propelled and towed, with the exception of the L118 and MLRS light howitzers in the British Army.
The AS-90’s design continues to evolve. The most significant of them was the replacement of the old 155 mm L / 39 barrel with a new 52-caliber length (a little over 8 meters). As a result, the maximum firing range has increased significantly – initially up to 24.7 km, and with the release of an upgraded version of the high-explosive ammunition L15 – up to 30 km. Barrels designed to fire any ammunition that meets NATO standards.
On the right and left sides of the tower are rectangular hatches closed by armored doors. On the roof of the tower there is a 7.62 mm machine gun for firing at air and ground targets. The hull and turret of the howitzer are covered with a 17 mm layer of steel armor. The rotation of the tower is due to electric drives in case of breakage – manual emergency drive.
The power plant consists of the following main components: a VTA-903T-660 diesel engine from the American company Cummins and an automatic transmission LSG 2000 from the German company Renk.
To take full advantage of the high ballistics of the new barrel, the AS-90 howitzer is equipped with a number of modern computer systems – from the aiming system that controls the electromechanics of the turret, to the vertical guidance of the guns and navigation and communication systems. . Also in the onboard electronics complex is integrated a new charger, which uses modular metal charges instead of traditional ones.
Onboard electronics allow each AS-90 howitzer to become an autonomous combat unit. The gun can fire in 3-shot bursts of 10 seconds, or provide a more uniform rate of fire – 18 shots in three minutes, or 2 shots per minute for an hour in steady mode. The ammunition contains 48 shots – 31 in the tower and 17 in the body of the self-propelled gun.
Source: Port Altele
John Wilkes is a seasoned journalist and author at Div Bracket. He specializes in covering trending news across a wide range of topics, from politics to entertainment and everything in between.