SPG44152 Archer
| SPG44152 Archer | |
|---|---|
 Archer SPG of the 4th Artillery Regiment, Baderia, 1961 | |
| Type | Self-propelled artillery |
| Place of origin |  Velikoslavia |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1944-1991 |
| Used by | Velikoslavia |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Halcyon Armor Workshop |
| Designed | 1932-1938 |
| Manufacturer | Vushok Armor Works |
| Produced | 1940-1963 |
| No. built | 13,293 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 25.3 tonnes |
| Length | 8.50 m |
| Width | 3.10 m |
| Height | 2.50 m |
| Crew | 5 (earlier variants) 4 (later variants) |
| Shell | Separate loading charge and projectile |
| Shell weight | HE; 40 kg (88.2 lb) |
| Caliber | 15.2cm (6 inch) |
| Breech | Interrupted screw |
| Recoil | hydro-pneumatic |
| Elevation | –6° to 69.5° |
| Rate of fire | 4 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 508 m/s (1,666 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 8 miles |
| Armor | Cast turret Hull front 30mm (upper part) |
Main armament | 152mm S-1 Howtizer |
Secondary armament | 16 x 76mm smoke grenade launchers |
| Engine | Pantra YV5 4 stroke 12 cylinder 32 liter water cooled diesel engine 500 hp at 2500 RPM |
| Suspension | Torsion Bar |
| Ground clearance | 0.45 m |
Operational range | 330 km |
| Speed | 60 km/h on-road 40 km/h off-road |
The SPG44152, known as the Archer, is a Velikoslav Self-propelled artillery that entered service in 1944 and is based off the chassis of the T3976 Medium Tank. Designed to mount the robust and powerful 152mm S-1 Howitzer on a vehicle to support armored forces, the Archer served as the primary artillery vehicle of the Grand Armed Forces of Velikoslavia for more than forty years and remained in reserve service up until 1991. It is still used in numerous places around the globe today. Notably, the Archer was the mainstay of Velikoslav artillery in the Second Partisans' War, participating in every major engagement and produced by the thousands.
Development
Specifications
Hull and Turret
The SPG44152 uses a turret that is open at the rear and enclosed on the other sides, providing protection for the crew at the front, sides, and top. The hull is welded from rolled homogeneous armor and is divided into 3 compartments: the power compartment which houses the transmissions and the engine, the driving compartment, and the combat compartment. The engine and the transmissions are housed in the front right part of the vehicle. To the transmission's left are the driving mechanisms with chassis controls The combat compartment is located in the center of the vehicle, which is equipped with armored shielding. The ammunition rack is located to the rear in an armored structure built specifically for the purpose. The turret has a traverse range of 71.5 degrees to either the left or the right, and the maximum elevation range was from –6° to 69.5° degrees. The entire vehicle needs a crew of 5 to operate. The armor on the unit is designed to protect the crew from small arms fire and light guns, but not much more as the Archer is not designed for front line combat.
