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Panzerhaubitze 2000 A2 - The Backbone of the Bundeswehr
Hi and welcome to my 85th suggestion, which is about the Panzerhaubitze 2000 A2, hope you like it. 
First of all:
- Feel free to share more Information and / or correct me if something is wrong
- Discuss respectfully, any aggressive kind or verbal abuse will be reported, the Forum rules also apply here
Basic Background
In the 1960s, NATO’s existing artillery systems could no longer meet the growing demands of the battlefield, as they lacked mobility, range, rate of fire and protection. To improve this, Germany, Italy and Great Britain developed the FH-155 field howitzer. This standardization increased the combat power of the artillery and at the same time significantly reduced the logistical effort. In 1973, the three countries signed a letter of intent to develop a new weapon system that would combine the ballistic capabilities of the FH-155 and the mobility and protection of the Leopard 1 battle tank. However, this project, which ran under the name PzH 155-1 or Panzerhaubitze 70, was discontinued in 1986 due to technical problems.
Germany began its own development in 1987 and put out a tender for a new test vehicle with the participation of the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement. Two consortia - Group South (Krauss-Maffei/Porsche/KUKA) and Group North (Wegmann/MaK) - each developed prototypes with a focus on internal ammunition flow and a robust chassis, with Group South using the chassis of the Leopard 2 and Group North using that of the Leopard 1. Ultimately, the North consortium was able to prevail over the competition due to better ammunition flow and a powerful turret. The Wegmann company was selected as general contractor for four prototypes, which were completed between 1991 and 1993 and subjected to extensive testing to ensure their mobility, firing performance and operational capability. Following the positive test results, the first series models were delivered to the Bundeswehr from 1998.
Replacing the M109 Panzerhaubitze, between 1998 and 2003, the Bundeswehr received a total of 185 PzH 2000s, with several more units were delivered to NATO partners such as Italy, Greece, Croatia, the Netherlands, Qatar, Lithuania and Hungary.
The PzH 2000 A2 Overall
The PzH 2000 has been continuously improved since 2002. The first combat upgrade introduced the PzH 2000 A1, with a new computer core, software updates and all control devices on models with membrane keys. The A2 version added a 1.9 kW stand-alone power supply for use in protected positions, which also enabled the installation of an air conditioning system.
The range of the PzH 2000 is 30 km with standard projectiles, 40 km with ERFB projectiles and reaches up to 56 km with V-LAP ammunition. The turret’s swivel range and the inclination from -2.5° to +65° are controlled electrically or manually. The howitzer can fire up to 10 shots per minute and is thus able to engage a target with a high rate of fire. It can be loaded with up to 60 rounds of 155 mm caliber projectiles, including; high explosive, fragmentation, multispectral smoke, semi-armor-piercing high explosive, illumination and SMArt projectiles.
The PzH 2000 is powered by a powerful MTU-881 diesel engine with 735 kW (1000 hp). This engine gives the system the mobility of a battle tank with speeds of up to 60 km/h on roads and 45 km/h off-road, with a weight of up to 57.7 tons. The engine-gearbox unit, which uses components from the Leopard tank family, allows for quick replacement in the field thanks to its compact design.
The chassis components are partly based on proven Leopard technology. The chassis, consisting of seven rollers per side with Diehl DST 840 E0 tracks, is robust and enables it to overcome terrain obstacles. In addition, the PzH 2000 can wade through water up to 1.1 m deep without preparation or, with special submersible hydraulics, even depths of up to 1.5 m.
The armor is what you would expect from a howitzer, but the roof is equipped with “hedgehog armor”, which provides highly effective protection against HE and HEAT ammunition.
Thanks for your time, hope you liked it 
[Will add more if there are some (more) important / declassified things]
[PM or comment if a Link or Picture isn´t working]
Sources:
Links
PzH 2000 - KNDS
Panzerhaubitze 2000 A2
CAT-UXO - Dm 371 fuze
Ausrüstung und Technik: Die Panzerhaubitze 2000
Book / Other:
Artilleriesysteme im Vergleich - Kooperativer Bibliotheksverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (KOBV)
Tankograd - Militärfahrzeuge Spezial N°5025: Panzerhaubitze 2000 - Clemens Niesmer
