P150G2P Songsu-po

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P150G2P/G4P Songsu-po
P150G2P Songsu-po variants 20210714.png
The P150G2P (left) and P150G4P (right).
TypeSelf-propelled howitzer
Place of originMenghe
Service history
In service2004-present
Used bySee "Operators"
WarsInnominadan Crisis
Innominadan Uprising
Production history
DesignerSamsan Defense
ManufacturerNorthwestern Armored Vehicle Plant
Produced2005-present
No. built4,150+
Specifications
Weight48 metric tonnes
Length11.63 m (including gun)
Barrel length7.88 m
Width3.38 m
Height2.97 m to turret roof
Crew5
Caliber150mm
BreechVertical sliding block
Elevation-5° to +65°
Traverse360°
Rate of fire8 rounds/min (max)
2 rounds/min (sustained)
Maximum firing range24.6 km (standard ammunition)
36 km (base bleed ammunition)
58 km (RAP)
Main
armament
150mm L/42 howitzer
Secondary
armament
12.7mm GCh-75 HMG
EngineSamsan KS-773 8-cylinder diesel
880 hp
Power/weight18.3 hp/ton
Suspensiontorsion bar
Ground clearance340mm
Operational
range
550 km (road)
Speed60 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.

Somewhat confusingly, in reorganized artillery batteries integrated into the Jinri CFDS, the same self-propelled howitzer is designated P150G4P. The P150G4P is largely identical to the P150G2P and has the same basic characteristics, with minor differences in its fire-control equipment. The main differences betwen the G2 and G4 150mm artillery systems concern the other networked vehicles in the battery. Both the P150G2P and the P150G4P share the nickname Songsu-po.

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.

The P150G2P has internal storage space for 52 rounds and their charges, with ammunition stored in the turret rear, the hull rear, and the hull sides over the treads. A large door in the rear of the hull and a small door in the rear of the turret allow outside personnel to help re-stock the vehicle with ammunition. Typically, reloading is accomplished with the help of two additional personnel, and can be performed while the vehicle's own crew are operating and firing the howitzer.

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.

Ammunition

The P150G2P is compatible with all Menghean 150mm howitzer ammunition, and can theoretically fire legacy high explosive shells from the Pan-Septentrion War. Because of its longer gun and larger chamber, it can fire standard high-explosive shells out to 24.6 kilometers, nearly matching the range of the P150G1P's base bleed ammunition. When the P150G2P uses base bleed ammunition, it can reach ranges of 30-36 kilometers, depending on the mass and design of the shell. A rocket-assisted projectile introduced in 2011 increases the howitzer's maximum firing range to 58 kilometers, allowing it to strike targets in enemy rear areas.

The list below contains the most common ammunition types for the P150G2P. Chemical weapons shells are not listed, as Menghe dismantled its chemical weapons stockpile prior to the Songsu-po's introduction.

  • PT-150GP Type 03 - Aerodynamically improved high-explosive shell to exploit the P150G2P's higher muzzle velocity. Range: 24.6 kilometers.
    • PT-150GPH Type 03 - Type 03 high-explosive shell fitted with a base bleed unit.
    • PT-150GPH - Rocket-assisted high-explosive shell. With Menghean phonetic abbreviation, it differs in designation from the PT-150GPH base bleed projectile. Range: 58 kilometers.
  • PT-150BS - Standard 150mm shell with two Buŏng-i smart-fused anti-tank submunitions.
    • PT-150BSH - Improved Buŏng-i carrier shell with a base bleed unit. Range: 34 kilometers.
  • PT-150SJ - Projectile with a tandem high-explosive anti-tank warhead and no base bleed unit, used in direct-fire engagements if a self-propelled howitzer battery is overrun by enemy armored forces. It has a claimed penetration of 900mm RHAe and can also be used against infantry and light vehicles.
  • PT-150JJ - Cargo shell that releases a radio frequency jammer on a drifting parachute at the peak of its trajectory. Range: 20 kilometers to air-release point.
  • PT-150JM - Visual-spectrum illumination shell, also with its cargo on a drifting parachute.
  • PT-150JI - Cargo shell with 56 JIG-J anti-personnel mines.
    • PT-150JIH - PT-150JI with a base bleed unit for extended range.
  • PT-150ChS - Cluster munition shell with a cargo of 77 Chŏl-u dual-purpose submunitions.
    • PT-150ChSH - PT-150ChS with a base bleed unit for extended range.
  • PT-150YG - Smart base bleed shell with terminal SALH guidance. Requires terminal target illumination by a separate platform, but can engage moving targets and targets with CSNS jammers. Armed with a HEAT warhead to defeat armored targets in addition to soft ones. Range: 36 kilometers.
  • PT-150YWH - Smart shell with a sustainer rocket and satellite (CSNS) guidance. Has a small high-explosive bursting charge due to the reduced volume inside the projectile. Range: 55 kilometers.
  • PT-150YM - Smokescreen projectile with an enhanced white phosphorus charge that masks visual light and infrared radiation.

P150G2 system

The designation P150G2 refers to the broader family of vehicles in Menghe's 2nd type of 150mm gun battery, while P150G2P refers to the gun vehicle in that family. There are three other armored vehicles in the P150G2 system, all of them built on the same IMCh-J Koppulso chassis as the self-propelled howitzer. In addition to the vehicles below, there are additional soft-skinned utility lorries at the battery and battalion levels, each one carrying ammunition, miscellaneous supplies, a driver, and two assistant loaders to help carry ammunition to a vehicle in a firing position.

P150G2JS

The battery command vehicle of the P150G2 system. It has a crew of 5, including the battery XO and battery CO. This vehicle accompanies the other vehicles in an artillery battery, directing their movement between firing positions and assigning target coordinates to individual vehicles or gun platoons. Like the Songsu-po, it is armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun for self-defense against infantry, light vehicles, and aircraft.

P150G2JG

The forward observer vehicle of the P150G2 system. It has a crew of 5 and is assigned at the battalion level in a four-vehicle forward observer platoon. When a 150mm artillery battery is attached to a battalion, the forward observer vehicle accompanies that battalion on the front line to identify targets and issue fire-correction instructions. It is armed with a 30mm cannon in a turret based on that of the BSCh-5's later variants.

P150G2DS

The battalion command vehicle of the P150G2 system. It has a crew of 6, including the battalion CO, and resembles the P150G2JS but carries additional radio equipment.

P150G4 system

The major components of the P150G4 system.

With the introduction of the Jinri Common Fire Direction System in the early 2010s, the existing structure of the standard Menghean 150mm artillery battery was rendered inefficient: there was no longer any need for a battery- or battalion-level forward observer vehicle, as vehicles in individual front-line companies could fulfill this role instead. Therefore, while work on the Jinri CFDS was ongoing, the Menghean Army ordered the reorganization of the P150G2 system to take advantage of out-of-battery forward observers. In the process, designers also added a new battery-level armored ammunition carrier, the Basil-cha. Because the supporting components of the new networked system were different, the Ministry of National Defense gave it the separate system designation P150G4.

P150G4P Songsu-po

This is the designation given to P150G2P self-propelled howitzers manufactured after 2013 for the P150G4 system. Despite its new designation, the P150G4P is nearly identical to the P150G2P, differing only in its communications and networking equipment and the presence of a reloading hatch on the turret rear. It also has a muzzle velocity reference radar mounted over the gun barrel. This device measures the velocity of a shell as it is fired and feeds this information back into the vehicle's firing computer, adjusting the gun's aim if the ammunition is faster or slower than expected. In terms of its combat characteristics, it is entirely identical to the P150G2P described above.

P150G4TS Basil-cha

The P150G4TS (tanyak susong) is an armored ammunition resupply vehicle for the P150G4P howitzer, serving as the Menghean counterpart to the K10 ARV. It has a large casemate structure built over the rear hull and an ammunition supply chute which projects forward on an adjustable mount that connects to the front of the hull. This allows the Basil-cha to position itself behind the turret of a G4-type Songsu-po, align its ammunition supply chute with the hatch on the Songsu-po's turret rear, and supply new rounds and propellant charges at a rate of 12 per minute. This process does breach the Songsu-po's airtight seal, but it protects both vehicles from shrapnel and small-arms fire. The P150G4TS is also armored to the same standard as the Songsu-po, protecting it from enemy fire while it is out of battle, and has the same offroad mobility, allowing it to keep up with a battery performing shoot-and-scoot operations offroad in muddy terrain.

The Basil-cha has a crew of 3, and like the Songsu-po it is armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun on an open cupola with a hatch. It can carry 112 rounds and their associated charges, slightly more than twice as much as a Songsu-po. A typical Menghean 4th generation 150mm gun battery contains two firing platoons with three P150G4P howitzers each and one ammunition transport platoon with three P150G4TS resupply vehicles, for a total 2:1 ratio of howitzers to resupply vehicles.

P150G4JS

The battery command vehicle of the P150G4 system. It is externally similar to the P150G2JS, but contains more communications and networking equipment and has a larger crew of 6, including a new radio operator.

P150G4DS

The battalion command vehicle of the P150G4 system. Like the P150G4JS, it is largely identical to its G2 counterpart but carries improved communications equipment.

Production

The P150G2P and P150G4P, along with supporting vehicles on the same chassis, are manufactured at the Northwestern Armored Vehicle Plant in Ryŏjin, the capital city of the Ketchvan Autonomous Province. According to an official press release, total production in 2019 amounted to 376 self-propelled howitzers, 190 reloading vehicles, 63 battery command vehicles, and 21 battalion command vehicles. Total production between 2005 and the end of 2020 amounts to over 4,150 self-propelled howitzers, and the type still remains in mass production.

Variants

  • P150G2P - Initial production model, manufactured from 2005 to 2013.
    • P150G2P1 - Refitted model of the P150G2P introduced in 2015. Features the MChGJ-0800 radio kit and a muzzle velocity measurement radar, both introduced on the P150G4P.
  • P150G4P - Improved variant introduced in 2013 for the P150G4 system.
  • P155G1P - Custom variant of the P150G2 with a 155mm gun. Designed for the export market.
  • P152G1P - Custom variant of the P150G2 with a 152mm gun. Designed for the export market.
  • P150 GJ-56 - Experimental variant with an extended L/56 gun. Although it was not ordered into production, it served as a testbed for the development of the P150G5P which succeeded it.

Operators

See also

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