FH70

Not to be confused with Swedish towed howitzer FH77 of the same caliber.


FH70
FH70 howitzer in North Cornwall Tank Museum Collection.
TypeHowitzer
Place of originUnited Kingdom, West Germany & Italy
Service history
In service1978–present
Used bysee "Operators"
WarsLebanese Civil War
Russo-Ukrainian War
Production history
Designed1968–1973
ManufacturerVSEL, Rheinmetall, OTO Melara, Japan Steel Works (licensed production)
Produced1976
Specifications
Mass9.3 t (9.2 long tons; 10.3 short tons)
Length
  • 12.43 m (40 ft 9 in) firing
  • 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in) travelling
Barrel length6.022 m (19 ft 9.1 in) L/39
Width
  • 7.5 m (24 ft 7 in) firing
  • 2.58 m (8 ft 6 in) travelling
Height
  • 2.192 m (7 ft 2.3 in) firing (no elevation)
  • 2.45 m (8.0 ft) travelling
Crew8
ShellL15A1 HE (standard)
Shell weight43.4 kg (96 lb)
Calibre155 mm (6.1 in)
BreechSemi-automatic vertically sliding block and automatic loader
RecoilBuffer with high-angle cut-off gear and a recuperator
CarriageSplit trails with APU
Elevation+70° (1244mils)/-4.5° (-80mils)
Traverse56° (996mils)
Rate of fire
  • 2 rounds/min sustained
  • 6 rounds/min rapid
Muzzle velocity213–827 m/s (700–2,710 ft/s)
Maximum firing range
  • 24.7 km (15.3 mi) L15A1
  • 31.5 km (19.6 mi) base bleed
SightsQuadrant elevation scale and levelling bubbles, a periscopic dial sight, and a direct fire telescope
ReferencesJanes[1]

The FH70 (field howitzer for the 1970s) is a towed howitzer used by several nations.

  1. ^ Janes (26 May 2022), "FH-70", Janes Land Warfare Platforms: Artillery & Air Defence, Coulsdon, Surrey: Jane's Group UK Limited., retrieved 28 February 2023