Panzerhaubitze 2000
| Panzerhaubitze 2000 | |
|---|---|
Lithuanian Panzerhaubitze 2000 from the front | |
| Type | Self-propelled howitzer |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1998–present |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1987–1995 |
| Unit cost | €17 million (2022) |
| Produced | 1995–present |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Combat: 55.8 t (61.5 short tons) |
| Length | 11.7 m (38 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in) |
| Crew | 5 (commander, driver, gunner, and two loaders) |
| Rate of fire | 3 rounds in 9 seconds (burst) 10 rounds per minute |
| Effective firing range | DM121 Boattail: 30 km (19 mi) M1711 base bleed: 40 km (25 mi) M2005 V-LAP (RAP): 54 km (34 mi) |
| Armor | Welded steel, 14.5 mm resistant Additional bomblet protection |
Main armament | Rheinmetall 155 mm L52 Artillery Gun 60 rounds |
Secondary armament | 7.62 mm Rheinmetall MG3 machine gun |
| Engine | MTU MT881 Ka-500 1,000 PS (986 hp, 736 kW) |
| Power/weight | 17.92 PS/t |
| Transmission | Renk HSWL284C |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
Operational range | 420 km (260 mi) |
| Maximum speed | Road: 67 km/h (41 mph) Off-road: 45 km/h (28 mph) |
.jpg){kind=link}
The Panzerhaubitze 2000 (German pronunciation: [ˈpant͡sɐhaʊ̯ˌbɪt͡sə t͡svaɪ̯ˈtaʊ̯zn̩t]), meaning "armoured howitzer 2000" and abbreviated PzH 2000, is a German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by KNDS Deutschland (formerly Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW)) and Rheinmetall in the 1980s and 1990s for the German Army. The PzH 2000 has automatic support for up to five rounds of multiple round simultaneous impact. Replenishment of shells is automated. Two operators can load 60 shells and propelling charges in less than 12 minutes. The PzH 2000 equips the armies of Germany, Italy, Ukraine, Netherlands, Greece, Lithuania, Hungary, Qatar, and Croatia, mostly replacing older systems such as the M109 howitzer.
In November 2019, a PzH 2000 L52 gun fired a shell a distance of almost 67 km (42 mi). Rheinmetall started testing a prototype L52 gun barrel with a new charge for a range of at least 75 km (47 mi) since 2020. In May 2024, Rheinmetall announced that it would supply "a three-digit number" of L52 gun barrel systems for the Panzerhaubitze 2000 for "a European customer country".