P150G2P Songsu-po

P150G2P Songsu-po
Type	Self-propelled howitzer
Place of origin	Menghe
Service history
In service	2004-present
Used by	See "Operators"
Wars	Innominadan Crisis Innominadan Uprising
Production history
Designer	Samsan Defense
Manufacturer	Northwestern Armored Vehicle Plant
Produced	2005-present
No. built	3,600+
Specifications
Weight	48 metric tonnes
Length	11.63 m (including gun)
Barrel length	7.88 m
Width	3.38 m
Height	2.97 m to turret roof
Crew	5
Caliber	150mm
Breech	Vertical sliding block
Elevation	-5° to +65°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	8 rounds/min (max) 2 rounds/min (sustained)
Maximum firing range	24.6 km (standard ammunition) 36 km (base bleed ammunition) 58 km (RAP)
Main armament	150mm L/42 howitzer
Secondary armament	12.7mm GCh-75 HMG
Engine	Samsan KS-773 8-cylinder diesel 880 hp
Power/weight	18.3 hp/ton
Suspension	torsion bar
Ground clearance	340mm
Operational range	550 km (road)
Speed	60 km/h (road)

The P150G2P Songsu-po ("Pine Gun") is a type of self-propelled howitzer developed in Menghe. It is armed with a 150-millimeter, 46-caliber gun in a fully enclosed armored turret built on the IMCh-J Koppulso universal medium tracked chassis. It was developed as the successor to the P150G1P Mogryŏn-po, and it currently serves as the Menghean Army's main regimental and divisional artillerypiece, with over 3,600 units in service.

Development

The P150G2P was preceded by a group of new self-propelled howitzer programs launched in the mid-1980s in the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe. These programs aimed to develop a self-propelled howitzer with a longer firing range than the P150G1P Mogryŏn-po then in service. No full-scale prototypes were built prior to the Decembrist Revolution, but scale models and paper studies evaluated a number of alternatives, including self-propelled howitzers on the JCh-5 chassis. None of these studies directly led to the P150G2 system, but they did help Menghe's defense industrial sector gain further experience with self-propelled gun design.

The defense cuts of the early reform era brought the various long-range artillery projects to the halt, though some design bureaus continued independent development.

Several factors combined in the late 1990s to restart interest in a new artillery system. First, 1999 saw the introduction of two new self-propelled howitzers in the region: the Hanhaean K9 Thunder, and the Dayashinese Type 99. Second, the Menghean Army's intervention in the Polvokian Civil War had revealed a number of shortcomings with existing weapon systems, including the inadequate range of the P150G1P Mogryŏn-po. Third, some design bureaus had quietly launched development independently in order to design a new vehicle for the export market, a first in Menghe. With defense budgets still rising after the Polvokian intervention, the Menghean Ministry of National Defense invited existing design teams to submit their proposals for a new Menghean self-propelled howitzer.

Samsan Defense, a subsidiary of the Samsan Group, was among the entrants to the competition. Originally founded as the state-run Northeast Steel Company, Samsan had been reorganized into a larger heavy industry group in the mid-1990s, and during that time it had acquired a design team from the shuttered Minchŏl Tank Factory. Though most of its earlier products were modernization kits for JCh-2 and JCh-4 medium tanks, Samsan Defense had already conducted preliminary work on export howitzers from 1997 onward, and the launch of the MoND's new howitzer competition in 2001 provided it with the prospect of lucrative domestic sales.

Samsan submitted its completed proposal for evaluation in 2003. The Chikai Heavy Machine Building Plant, a state-owned factory with an in-house design bureau, submitted its main competitor, an updated 1985 design with an enclosed turret on the hull of the JCh-5 main battle tank. Samsan's entry quickly emerged as the favorite, owing to its roomier interior, larger ammunition stowage capacity, and more advanced fire-control system. The Samsan prototype was approved for production in 2004 under the designation P150G2P, marking a first in Menghe's new mixed economy: a private-public Jachi-hoesa enterprise had defeated a state-run design bureau in a defense bid.

Description

The P150G2P has a conventional self-propelled howitzer, with the engine in the front right corner of the hull and the turret in the rear. The driver sits in the front left of the vehicle, and the other four crew members sit in the turret: the gunner in the front right corner, the commander behind him, and the two loaders on the left side. All armored vehicles in the P150G2 system use the IMCh-J Koppulso medium tracked chassis, resulting in ammunition compatibility with one another and with other divisional support vehicles.

The main armament of the Songsu-po is a 150mm L/46 gun-howitzer. When firing standard high-explosive shells with maximum charges, this weapon has a maximum range of 24.6 kilometers. Its range increases to 36 kilometers with base bleed ammunition and 58 kilometers with rocket-assisted projectiles. As on the Mogryŏn-po, loading of the gun is semi-automatic: loaders place shells and charges on an arm which aligns them with the breech and rams them with a chain mechanism. Because of the two-loader crew, the roomier turret, and improved ammunition stowage, the Songsu-po can achieve a rage of fire of 8 rounds per minute, double the peak rate of fire of its predecessor. The official sustained fire rate is 2 rounds per minute, though in a truly sustained bombardment the commander may limit it to 1 round per minute or lower to maximize barrel life and reduce ammunition expenditure.

Secondary armament, also carried forward from the Mogryŏn-po, consists of a 12.7mm GCh-75 heavy machine gun on the roof. The HMG's crank-operated anti-aircraft mount can rotate through 360 degrees and elevate between -10 and +85 degrees, allowing the commander to engage infantry near the vehicle and helicopters flying overhead. The defensive HMG is manually operated, with no option to aim and fire it from inside the vehicle, as on later variants of the P150G1P. Additional self-defense armament comes in the form of the 150mm gun itself: the crew can engage armored vehicles with direct-fire sights and tandem HEAT ammunition.

No official armor thickness diagrams for the P150G2P exist, but Samsan defense brochures claim that it has all-around protection from 12.7, 13.2, and 14.5mm armor-piercing rounds at combat ranges. This armor standard also gives it good protection against shell splinters from counter-battery fire, air-to-ground rockets, and bombs. The vehicle has an air filter and overpressure system to protect the crew against chemical, biological, and radiological weapons, though opening the commander's hatch to operate the defensive HMG breaks the airtight seal.

The Samsan 8-cylinder diesel engine gives the Songsu-po double the horsepower of its predecessor, but the hull, turret, and gun are also much heavier, bringing the final power-to-weight ratio to 18.3 horsepower per ton. While modest compared to newer main battle tanks and IFVs, this is still thoroughly adequate for a self-propelled howitzer, giving the Songsu-po good offroad mobility and a reasonable road speed. Transitioning from a road march to a firing position takes as little as 2 minutes, and the vehicle can be ready to move again in 30 seconds, allowing a gun platoon to relocate before the enemy can deliver counter-battery fire.

Variants

JJP-152/48B

A generational upgrade, the JJP-152/48B adds compatibility with new electronics and machinery which were not available when the original system was under development. These include a more precise fire-control computer, including an independent wind and temperature sensor and a muzzle reference radar mounted on top of the barrel. The latter is briefly activated after each shot is fired and measures the speed and drift of the departing shell in order to determine what minor corrections are necessary for the next round. The new fire-control system also shortens into- and out-of-action transition times to 15 seconds, and reduces the time necessary to reach a fire solution, increasing the speed with which an artillery battery can respond to a fire mission from a lower-level unit. The automatic loading machinery underwent minor changes as well, increasing the MRSI burst mode to 4 rounds in 21 seconds (a 6.7-second reload cycle). Finally, the JJP-152/48 has a modified ammunition port in the turret rear, allowing compatibility with the TUJ-152 ammunition transfer vehicle.

Other minor changes to the JJP-152/58B include additional external boxes on the turret, which are used to store spare equipment. This includes a long box on the turret’s left side which is capable of holding a YJG-38 shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile in its launcher. As on later JJP-152/27 variants, this is meant to allow the charge loader or gunner/commander to dismount, unpack the launcher, and engage a helicopter or low-flying aircraft if the battery comes under attack.

TUJ-152

The (탄약운반장갑차 , Tanyag Unban Janggabcha, "ammunition-carrying armored vehicle" is a type of specialized reloading vehicle which entered service alongside the JJP-152/48. It emerged from the recognition that the external loading crew necessary for sustained fire missions or replenishment in between shoot-and-scoot barrages would be vulnerable to artillery bombardment and chemical weapons. Anticipating a state design competition, Samsan’s design team produced a fully enclosed ammunition resupply vehicle to allow reloading while both vehicles are fully armored and enclosed.

The TUJ-152 uses the same tracked utility chassis as the JJP-152/48. This allows it to maintain a high level of parts commonality, and to follow the self-propelled guns over difficult offroad terrain. It also has the same all-around armor protection. The most visible difference is a fixed superstructure in place of the rotating turret, with a munition transfer bridge running forward over the hull. This bridge has a few degrees of horizontal and vertical traverse, allowing it to align perfectly with a matching receptacle on the 152/48B’s turret rear. Once the two are aligned, a canvas shroud extends forward to seal the connection. If this stage is completed correctly, both vehicles can remain isolated from CBRN contaminants in the environment.

Once the vehicles are connected, the TUJ-152 is capable of transferring 12 rounds per minute via an automated belt system assisted by two crewmen, and carries a total of 120 rounds in stowage. It has a crew of three: driver, commander, and ammunition drive operator. As on the SPG, the commander has a rotating cupola with a 7.62mm DG-71 general-purpose machine-gun for defense against infantry.

Other Variants

• JJP-155/47: Export variant with a 155mm caliber main gun. It is fully compatible with standard 155mm foreign artillery munitions. The self-defense cupola gun can be changed to fit the customer’s request.
• TUJ-155: Export variant of the TUJ-152, modified to match the JPP-155/47’s caliber. It has a slightly reduced ammunition capacity. The self-defense cupola gun can be changed to fit the customer’s request.
• JJP-152/56: Experimental chassis with a longer 56-caliber gun, first spotted in 2015. It carries the official designation Sije-Chalyang 1216.

• JDYJ (중간은 다용도 장갑차, Jungganŭn Dayongdo Janggabcha): An intermediate between the KDYJ and GDYJ, the “Medium Multipurpose Armored Vehicle” refers to the basic chassis used by the JJP-152/48. Due to its proven reliability and convenient configuration, the chassis has been used for a wide variety of other heavy utility vehicles. Those related to the JJP-152/48 are listed below.
  File:48-PBS system.png

  The three vehicles that form the 48-PBS fire control system.
• 48-PBDS (포병 대대 사령차 Pobyŏng Daedae Salyŏngcha): Artillery battalion command post for the battalion commander and battalion chief of staff. Also serves as a centralized planning and control center for massed battalion fire missions. Has a crew of 7.
• 48-PHTG (포병화력 통제 관제소, Pobyŏnghwalyŏg Tongje Gwanjeso): Forward artillery control and observation post for the battery commanding officer. The 48-PHTG is capable of determining the GPS coordinates of a target, and assessing the damage inflicted by a barrage, as well as transmitting this information back to the 48-PBJS and 48-PBDS. Has a crew of 5.
• 48-PBJS (포병 중대 사령차 Pobyŏng Jungdae Salyŏngcha): Mobile command post and centralized fire control center for the artillery battery executive officer. Has a crew of 6. Collectively, the three vehicles above are known as the "48-PBS" system, and they are networked together and with the individual SPGs in their unit.

Service

The main user of the JJP-152/48 is the Menghean Army, which currently operates some 7,000 examples. Production is still ongoing at Samsan Factory 674 in the southeastern city of Daegok. In active units, the JJP-152/48 is intended to equip both divisional artillery regiments and regimental artillery battalions, though as production is still ongoing a number of divisions still use the JJP-152/27 as their regimental gun.

Since 2013, the Menghean Army has been overseeing early work on a potential successor to the JJP-152/48. In 2015, the Inmin-Chŏlgang-Nodongja Vehicle Plant obtained a JJP-152/48 chassis and modified it with the longer 56-caliber experimental 152mm gun carrying a heavier breech, forming the JJP-152/56. This system is otherwise identical to the old version, but is claimed to have a longer range and greater accuracy. Samsan's military design division is also working on an entry for the competition; their design, which has not yet matured into a working prototype, is supposed to feature a fully automated loading system, a water-cooled gun, and other improvements to accelerate response time and short-barrage rate of fire. Both designs are still under early consideration, and as of yet there are no signs that Menghean Army High Command favors one over the other, or that it will soon terminate JJP-152/48 production.

See also

• JJP-152/27