P105G2P Bŏdŭl-po

P105G2P Bŏdŭl-po
The three major variants of the Bŏdŭl-po.
Type	Self-propelled howitzer
Place of origin	Menghe
Service history
In service	1982-present
Production history
Manufacturer	Taehwa Armored Vehicle Plant
Produced	1982-present
No. built	2,500
Specifications
Weight	15.9 tonnes
Length	6.65 m
Width	2.85 m
Height	2.38 m to turret roof
Crew	5
Caliber	105mm
Breech	Vertical sliding block
Elevation	-5° to +60°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	6 rounds/min (max) 2 rounds/min (sustained)
Maximum firing range	17,900 m (standard ammunition) 20,400 m (base bleed ammunition)
Armor	5-35mm
Main armament	105mm howitzer
Secondary armament	7.5mm GCh-77 pintle-mounted MG
Engine	UTD-20, 6-cylinder 4-stroke V-shaped airless-injection water-cooled multifuel 15.8 liter diesel 300 hp
Power/weight	18.9 hp/ton
Suspension	torsion bar with shock absorbers on 1st and 6th roadwheel pairs
Ground clearance	450mm
Operational range	500 km (road)
Speed	60 km/h (road) 7 km/h (swimming)

The P105G2P Bŏdŭl-po is a type of Menghean self-propelled howitzer consisting of a modified PG-105 Type 75 howitzer on the chassis of a BSCh-5 infantry fighting vehicle. It was formerly the main regiment-level howitzer in Menghean mechanized formations, though since the late 2000s many regiments have transitioned to using self-propelled 150mm howitzers at the regimental level. Though its 105mm howitzer fires a small shell and has a modest range, the Bŏdŭl-po is highly mobile and fully amphibious, allowing it to keep up with mechanized formations even as they mount deep attacks into enemy rear areas. Like other Menghean self-propelled artillery guns, it is named for a tree, in this case the willow.

Description

The P105G2P is built on the hull of the BSCh-5 amphibious IFV, and shares the same forward layout, with the engine in the front right quarter of the hull and the driver in the front left. The vehicle commander sits in the front left, just behind the driver. The rear of the vehicle, which originally hosted a two-seat turret and a six-seat passenger compartment, instead supports a large three-seat turret housing a gunner and two loaders. The remaining space in the hull is used to store ammunition and fuel tanks. The passenger doors in the rear of the hull are carried over from the BSCh-5, but are instead used to load shells and charges into ready racks accessible from the turret.

The main gun of the P105G2P is based on the PG-105 Type 75 howitzer, but differs in several respects. The large central recuperator is replaced by two smaller ones, and the cradle and buffer are also smaller, two changes which allow the gun to be mounted in a lower-profile turret. A bore evacuator was also added to the gun in order to keep exhaust gases from filling up the crew compartment. The barrel length, however, is identical, giving the P105G2P and the PG-105 Type 75 identical ballistic properties. This allows the P105G2P to fire the same range of ammunition types used by the PG-105 Type 75, as well as 105mm howitzer shells produced in Hallia, Tír Glas, and Dayashina. The gunner is provided with a direct-fire sight to engage armored vehicles with HEAT ammunition, a purely secondary capability which is used if a battery's position is overrun. Further self-defense comes in the form of a 7.5mm GCh-77 machine gun mounted on a rotating cupola on the right side of the turret. This weapon is operated by the second loader and can elevate to 45 degrees.

Like the PG-105 Type 75, the P105G2P has a maximum range of 17,900 meters when firing standard ammunition and 20,400 meters when firing base-bleed ammunition. To compensate for this relatively modest range, the Bŏdŭl-po was designed with high mobility in mind. It is tracked and has a reasonable speed, ground pressure, and power-to-weight ratio, though in all three areas it is somewhat inferior to the BSCh-5. It is also fully amphibious, though only in calm seas, meaning that it cannot be used in amphibious assaults.

The hull of the P105G2P has the same armor layout as the hull of the BSCh-5 IFV, and can withstand 23mm fire over the 60-degree frontal arc, 12.7mm fire over the 90-degree frontal arc, and small-arms fire from all directions. The turret is protected against 12.7mm fire over the 60-degree frontal arc and small-arms fire from the sides and rear. The fighting compartment can be sealed against chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants with the help of an air filter and an overpressure pump.

Organization

The P105G2P self-propelled howitzer is formally classified as part of the P105G2 system, a family of vehicles supporting it. This system is made up of the following components:

• P105G2DS: Battalion command vehicle and forward observation post based on the BSCh-5. Crew: 6 (battalion XO, driver, gunner, senior radio operator, radio operator, fire-control operator).
• P105G2JS: Battery fire-control post based on the BSCh-5. Crew: 6 (battery XO, driver, gunner, radio operator, fire-control operator, fire-control operator).
• P105G2JG: Battery forward observer vehicle based on the BSCh-5. Crew: 6 (battery CO, driver, gunner, senior radio operator, radio operator, fire observer). A single vehicle is also used at the battalion level.
• P105G2P: Self-propelled howitzer.

Each mechanized regiment or tank regiment contains a single 105mm self-propelled howitzer battalion with a total of 18 P105G2P howitzers. These are divided into three batteries of six howitzers each, commanded by a P105G2JS fire-control vehicle and P105G2JG forward observer vehicle. The battalion also has a P105G2DS fire-control vehicle and a P105G2JG forward observer vehicle. All vehicles are based on the BSCh-5G, and all are fully amphibious, allowing them to cross water obstacles alongside or ahead of the self-propelled guns.

Production

The P105G2P was manufactured exclusively at the Taehwa Armored Vehicle Plant in the city of Jŏksan. Available records suggest that it was manufactured in Hall 1, with production peaking at 256 vehicles per year in 1986 before declining during subsequent budget cuts. Low-rate production continued through the 1990s and early 2000s, surging briefly in 2006 before ending in favor of increased production of 150mm SPGs. Total production is estimated at 2,500 vehicles.

Variants

• P105G2P1 - Original production variant from 1982.
• P105G2P2 - Improved variant introduced in 1993. Features an improved fire-control computer and gun-laying system.
• P105G2P3 - Modernized variant introduced in 2010. Uses a CSNS satellite position-finding system for better accuracy and makes further improvements to the fire-control system. Because the Bŏdŭl-po is no longer in production, all P3 units are retrofits of existing vehicles.

Operators

• Menghe
• Polvokia

See also

• 2S1 Gvozdika (Letnia)
• FV433 Abbott SPG (Anglia and Lechernt)
• Type 74 105 mm self-propelled howitzer (Dayashina)