Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Relocate.

This is coolbert:

Self-propelled si, towed no?

From a discussion at quora.com a consideration of towed artillery vis-a-vis the self-propelled variety.

The question is asked with answer given:

"What are the advantages and disadvantages of towed artillery and self-propelled [SP] artillery?"

Guy knows! Guy Schuchman having experience in the field.

According to Guy Schuchman:

"When talking about the same caliber guns (155mm) and not some toys you can mount on a helicopter, self propelled is better in any aspect related to the mission: it moves faster, deploys faster, less sensitive to rough terrain, can be ready for fire faster, [usually] have better supporting devices such as gyroscopes and GPS, can relocate faster, can deploy in a better protected locations or in small and dense locations and it is basically better in any other parameter I can think of when it comes to conventional warfare which involves intense firing and moving."

"So why use towed artillery, you ask?"

Cost, cost, cost, cost!

* "Cost in developing and producing the self-propelled guns."

* "Cost of maintenance - 500hp+ diesel engines, complex hydraulics, wiring, Continuous track, skilled mechanics and technicians for all these sub-systems and other aspects which cost a fortune to maintain [when] compared to towed guns."

* "Cost and long-term availability of parts which most are produced specifically for this type of vehicles, as opposed to towing trucks which can be easily replaced."

* "Cost of training - I can’t testify for every military in the world, but where I come from, properly training a team of self-propelled gun took 2 months while towed gun crew could be trained in 2–3 weeks, not to mention that engine-hours for training cost more in orders of magnitude. This also means a faster turn around time to replace missing men, if needed. On top of that, operating SP guns required special skills for each member of the crew, skills that you lost if you haven’t done it often enough (extremely important for reserve units). With towed units you simply have one team leader, one guy responsible for aiming and all the rest are performing roles which are easily refreshed after 1–2 hours in the field."

Additionally:

"I’m [Guy] sure there are some things I missed. The bottom line is that towed artillery is something many countries can afford obtaining in large numbers without draining their defense budget. However, while towed guns are great on static battle, i.e. standing in one place for days and providing firepower, they are a nightmare (compared to self propelled) when they need to move away from paved roads and travel around sand dunes or rocky terrains. Try just once to take a U-turn with a towed guns battery over such road and you’ll understand what I’m talking about."

Think also and as is germane to the weakness [?] of the American M777 howitzer the Ukraine Conflict the ability to shoot and scoot most important? Vitals of a self-propelled artillery firing piece to a degree protected from enemy counter-battery fire in a way M777 is not. And that ability to "shoot and scoot" important from the the standpoint of enemy counter-battery radar being less able to determine your  position with accuracy.

French Caesar SP and the German Panzerhaubitze 2000 SP also both in use by the Ukrainian superior to the American brand? I am sure this is not something American military planners want to hear.

coolbert.




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