G6 howitzer

G6
G6 howitzer
G6 howitzer parked at Air Force Base Ysterplaat in 2006
TypeSelf-propelled artillery
Place of originSouth Africa
Service history
Used bySee Operators
WarsSouth African Border War
Yemeni Civil War (2015–present)
Production history
DesignerLyttelton Engineering Works[1]
Designed1981[2]
ManufacturerDenel Land Systems (turret)
Land Systems OMC (chassis)[3]
Unit costUSD $3,272,000 (new)[4]
Produced1988–1999[4]
No. built154[4]
VariantsSee Variants
Specifications
Mass46 tonnes (51 short tons; 45 long tons)[5]
Length9.20 m (30 ft 2 in) (hull)[5]
Width3.40 m (11 ft 2 in)[5]
Height3.20 m (10 ft 6 in)[5]
Crew6[3]
Main
armament
155mm G5 howitzer (47 rounds)[5]
Secondary
armament
12.7mm M2 Browning machine gun (900 rounds)[5]
EngineMagirus Deutz Model FL 413 F/FR air-cooled diesel[4]
525 hp (391 kW)[5]
Power/weight11.17hp /tonne (8.7 kW/tonne)[3]
SuspensionTorsion bar with hydraulic shock dampers[4]
Ground clearance0.45 m (1 ft 6 in)[3]
Fuel capacity700 litres[5]
Operational
range
700 km[3]
Maximum speed 90 km/h (55 mph)[5]

The G6, sometimes denoted as the G6 Rhino,[6] is a South African self-propelled howitzer.[7] It was developed as a turreted, self-propelled variant of the G5 howitzer series, mating the gun to a six-wheeled mine-protected armoured chassis.[8] Design work on the G6 began in the late 1970s to replace the obsolescent Sexton being retired from service with the artillery regiments of the South African Army.[9] Serial production commenced between 1988 and 1999.[4]

At the time of its introduction, the G6 was considered one of the most mobile self-propelled howitzers in service.[10] Its chassis was engineered to be mine-resistant and blastproof, allowing it to survive multiple TM-46 detonations during trials.[11] The G6 was conceived as a wheeled rather than a tracked vehicle for this purpose, as well as to allow it to deploy long distances by road without consuming excessive quantities of fuel or requiring a tank transporter.[11]

G6s entered service during the last two years of the South African Border War, frequently shelling positions held by the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA) during the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale.[12] Their ability to bombard a target and change positions rapidly in less than two minutes, with minimal preparation, greatly reduced the threat posed by retaliatory Angolan air raids and counter-battery fire.[13] A number of G6s were subsequently manufactured for export and purchased by Abu Dhabi and Oman.[14] Export models included a specialist anti-aircraft variant with a GEC-Marconi Marksman turret and twin-barrelled 35mm autocannon.[15]

Chile briefly produced the G6 under licence as the CC-SP-45, although this arrangement was later terminated after the system was not adopted by that country's armed forces.[4] Iraq also manufactured its own domestic variant of the G6[16] as the Al Majnoon with technical assistance from Canadian artillery engineer Gerald Bull, which later evolved into the much larger and more sophisticated Al Fao.[17]

  1. ^ Christopher F. Foss (2001). Jane's Armour and Artillery (2002 ed.). Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd. p. 698. ISBN 978-0710623096.
  2. ^ Harmse, Kyle; Dunstan, Simon (23 February 2017). South African Armour of the Border War 1975–89. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. pp. 32–46. ISBN 978-1472817433.
  3. ^ a b c d e Christopher F. Foss (16 May 2000). Jane's Tanks and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide (2000 ed.). Harper Collins Publishers. pp. 440–441. ISBN 978-0-00-472452-2.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "G6 Renoster 155 mm Self-Propelled Howitzer". Newtown, Connecticut, United States: Forecast International, Incorporated. 2000. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Chant, Christopher (1987). A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 76–77. ISBN 0-7102-0720-4. OCLC 14965544.
  6. ^ Chant, Christopher (1997). An illustrated data guide to modern artillery. London: Tiger Books International. p. 29. ISBN 978-1855018617.
  7. ^ "Weapon systems: Artillery - GV6". South African Army. Archived from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  8. ^ Greeff, I.B. (June 1992). "South Africa's Modern Long Tom". Military History Journal. 9 (1). The South African Military History Society. ISSN 0026-4016. Archived from the original on 31 January 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  9. ^ "Obsolescence risk mitigation study for G6". Rivonia, Johannesburg: ITWeb. 6 September 2011. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  10. ^ "Jane's International Defense Review: IDR". Jane's International Defence Review. 34. 2001.
  11. ^ a b Camp, Steve; Helmoed-Römer, Heitman (November 2014). Surviving the Ride: A pictorial history of South African Manufactured Mine-Protected vehicles. Pinetown: 30 Degrees South. pp. 224–225. ISBN 978-1928211-17-4.
  12. ^ Weigert, Stephen (2011). Angola: A Modern Military History. Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan. pp. 87–96. ISBN 978-0230117778.
  13. ^ Malan, Magnus (2006). My Life with the SA Defence Force. Pretoria: Protea Boekhuis. pp. 236–237. ISBN 978-1869191146.
  14. ^ "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Archived from the original on 13 May 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  15. ^ Cordesman, Anthony (1997). Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE: Challenges of Security. Boulder: Westview Press. p. 194. ISBN 978-0813332406.
  16. ^ Ṣāyigh, Yazīd (1992). Arab Military Industry: Capability, Performance, and Impact. London: Brassey's Incorporated, Publishing House. p. 110. ISBN 978-0080417776.
  17. ^ Chauhan, Sharad (2003). War on Iraq. New Delhi: APH Publishing Corporation. pp. 258–259. ISBN 978-8176484787.