Soltam M-68
| Soltam M-68 | |
|---|---|
| 300px
Retired M-68 howitzer of the Singapore Army
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| Type | Howitzer |
| Place of origin | Israel |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See users |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Soltam Systems |
| Designed | 1968 |
| Manufacturer | Soltam |
| Produced | 1970 |
| Variants | Soltam M-71 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 9,500 kg (20,900 lb) |
| Barrel length | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). L/33 |
| Crew | 8 |
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| Caliber | 155 mm NATO |
| Breech | horizontal block |
| Carriage | split trail |
| Elevation | -5°/75° |
| Traverse | ±20° from centerline |
| Maximum firing range | 21.0 km (13.0 mi) |
The M-68 was a 155 mm L33 caliber towed gun howitzer manufactured by Soltam Systems of Israel, and used by the Israeli Defense Force.
Contents
Design
The M-68 is based on the Finnish designed 122 K 60 and 155 K 68 cannon series, first developed in the mid-1960s by the company Tampella Oy. Twelve Finnish cannons were built between 1970-1975, with more guns later built of later designs. These Tampella gun formed the basis for Soltam's production of the M-68 and later "Tampella series" guns. Before the 155 K 68 (Tampella), the 155HX prototype was shipped to Soltam for trials.[1]
The first prototype was completed in 1968 for trials and evaluations by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), who were satisfied with the performance of the howitzer. Subsequently, an order was placed with Soltam and a production line was initiated in 1970. The gun entered IDF service in time to serve IDF artillery corps during the Yom Kippur War of 1973.[citation needed]
Description
The barrel of the M-68 was fitted with a simple muzzle brake while the recoil mechanism with its two pneumatic cylinder jacks are positioned on the back-end of the barrel.
The gun mount chassis, breech and recoil system were to see further use in the next development of this gun — the Soltam M-71, which has a slightly longer barrel (39 calibers versus 33 calibers of the M-68) and a compressed air-driven rammer to ease loading.
Variants
In the mid 1970s, the Israeli Defense Forces engineered an improvised self-propelled gun known as the Ro'em / L-33 to complement the towed M-68. It mated an M-68 to a large, enclosed, turret atop the chassis and drive train of an M4 Sherman tank.
Users
In addition to Israel, this weapon has also been exported to Chile, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.[citation needed]
: Israel Defense Forces
: Chilean Army
: Indian Army
: Singapore Army[2]
: Royal Thai Army
: Myanmar Army
See also
References
Notes
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Further reading
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
- ↑ Vesa Toivonen. From Tampella to Partia. Karisto 2003 pp. 145-149 ISBN 952-5026-26-4
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
