The first German Panzerhaubitze 2000 with trained Ukrainian crews is in service. This was announced by Ukrainian defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have been replenished with new self-propelled artillery units PzH 2000 from Germany, which have been waiting for a really long time from Germany and the Netherlands. The Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov announced that the ACS is already in Ukraine and ready for battle.
“Panzerhaubitze 2000 are finally part of 155 mm howitzer arsenal of the Ukrainian artillery. I appreciate all efforts of my colleague #DefMin Christine Lambrecht in support of . Our artillerymen will bring the heat to the battlefield” said by Oleksii.
He also mentioned “the supply of PzH 2000 is an example of international cooperation in support of Ukraine. I highly appreciate the efforts of my colleague, Christine Lambrecht, and I would like to thank the Netherlands and defense minister Kajsa Ollongren.
Panzerhaubitze 2000 are finally part of 155 mm howitzer arsenal of the Ukrainian artillery.
I appreciate all efforts of my colleague 🇩🇪 #DefMin Christine Lambrecht in support of 🇺🇦.
Our artillerymen will bring the heat to the battlefield 🔥🔥🔥!
Photo by BMVg_Bundeswehr pic.twitter.com/mP5M0BApvO— Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) June 21, 2022
Earlier it was reported that training of the Ukrainian artillery crews on the Panzerhaubitze (PzH) 2000 155 mm self-propelled howitzer (SPH) was scheduled to begin in the week of 9 May following German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht’s announcement that Berlin would supply Kyiv with seven of the systems.
Note that this is approximately 12 units of PzH 2000, seven of which were transferred by Berlin, and five more by Amsterdam. Training of calculations lasted a record 40 days.
At the same time, PzH 2000 is often and rightly called one of the best ACS in the world. In particular, this art system holds the absolute record for firing range for 155-mm systems with a barrel length of 55 calibers – 67 kilometers of active-reactive projectile.
And the working range for it is up to 36 km of conventional ammunition and up to 40-47 km of a projectile with improved ballistics. This allows to “shoot” any Russian artillery system for 10-15 km.
Added to this advantage is the rate of fire of 10-12 shots per minute due to the automated feeding and sending of shells. And such a barrage of fire is multiplied by the exceptional accuracy provided by a digital fire control system with ballistic radar.
The latter also allows for multiple MRSI (Multiple round simultaneous impact) fire when one ACS fires a series of shots in such a way that they break at the target point at the same time.
In addition, high-performance tracked chassis and armor, which is of paramount importance in the conditions of counter-battery control given the survivability of the system.
About PzH 2000
he PzH 2000 is fitted with a 155 mm/L52 howitzer. Vehicle has a fully-automatic loading system with ammunition management system. The PzH 2000 is compatible with standard NATO 155 mm ammunition. Maximum range of fire is 30 km with standard HE-FRAG projectile and 40 km with base bleed projectile. Using a South African VLAP rocket-assisted projectile a range of 56 km can be achieved. Maximum rate of fire is 9 rounds per minute. It is capable of Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact (MRSI) firing. A total of 60 rounds are stowed in a magazine. Secondary armament consists of a roof-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun.
The PzH 2000 has a crew of five, including commander, gunner, two loaders and driver. Target engagements can be carried out by a crew of two men. Loaders are employed only when autoloader fails.
Chassis of the PzH 2000 uses some components of the Leopard 2 main battle tank. Vehicle is powered by the MTU MT 881 Ka-500 supercharged diesel engine, developing 1 000 hp.