Mk F3 155 mm

Mk F3 155mm
TypeSelf-propelled artillery
Place of originFrance
Service history
In service1962–present
Used bySee Operators
Production history
Designed1959[1]
ManufacturerGIAT
Produced1962–1997
No. built621
Specifications
Mass17.41 tonnes
Length6.22 m (20 ft 5 in)
Width2.72 m (8 ft 11 in)
Height2.085 m (6 ft 10 in)
Crew2 + 2 in the vehicle
8-man crew to fire the gun

ShellSeparate loading bagged charge and 44 kg (97 lb) projectile
Caliber155 mm L/33 caliber
BreechInterrupted screw
RecoilHydro-pneumatic
CarriageTracked
Elevation-6° to +75°
Traverse360°
Muzzle velocity725 m/s (2,380 ft/s)
Maximum firing range20 km (12 mi)

Armor20 mm (0.79 in)
Main
armament
155mm 33-calibre howitzer
EngineSOFAM Model 8Gxb 8-cylinder water-cooled 250 HP petrol engine
Power/weight14.4 hp/tonne
SuspensionTorsion-bar with shock absorbers
Operational
range
300 km (190 mi)
Maximum speed 60 km/h (37 mph) on road

The 155 mm self-propelled gun Mk F3, or the Canon de 155 mm Mle F3 Automoteur (Cn-155-F3-Am), was developed in the early 1950s by the French Army to replace their American M41 Gorilla 155 mm self-propelled guns. The Mk F3 is the smallest and lightest 155 mm motorized gun carriage ever produced, and because of its size and low cost it has found considerable success on the export market. Constructed on a modified AMX-13 light tank chassis, the Mk F3 is novel in incorporating room inside for only two of the eight required crewmen (the others riding in support vehicles). This allows the 155 mm gun to be placed on a smaller chassis than that employed by other armies, but exposes the outside crew members to enemy fire and other hazards.

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