The AS90 Braveheart is a 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer manufactured by the British company BAE Systems. The AS90 project was completed in March 1985, and the first prototype was shown at the British Army Equipment Exhibition in June 1986. It entered in service with the British Army in 1992.
Country users: Ukraine , United Kingdom
Technical Data
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Armament
The AS90 Braveheart 155mm self-propelled howitzer is fitted with a large turret mounted at the rear of the hull of a tracked chassis. The gun is equipped with recoil and hydrogas suspension system. It has a double-baffle muzzle brake, a fume extractor, and a split-block breech. Turret traverse is through a full continuous 360º and weapon elevation is from -5 to +70º. Elevation and traverse drives are both electric and operate at a rate of 10º/s. Full manual controls are provided in case of electric failure. The AS90 is armed with a 155 mm 39 caliber barrel that can fire all the standard NATO artillery projectiles including the HE M107 and extended range types. Thanks to an automated loading system, it can fire a burst of three rounds in less than 10 seconds, an intense rate of 6 rds/min for 3 minutes, and a sustained rate of fire of 2 rds/min. The AS90 can carry a total of 48 projectiles with 31 stowed in the turret bustle in four magazine modules, each of which has a motor that moves the required projectile to the correct position. The remaining 17 projectiles are stored in the hull of the vehicle. With standard ammunition, the AS90 can fire at a maximum range of 24,700 m and 30,000 m with assisted projectiles. The barrel is locked in the road position by a clamp mounted at the front of the hull. In the firing position, the barrel clamp is operated by the driver from inside the vehicle.
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Design and protection
The AS90 Braveheart 155mm self-propelled howitzer is divided into 3 compartments with the driver sitting at the front left with the power pack to his right and the turret located at the rear of the hull. The AS90 has a crew of 5 including the driver, commander, gunner, loader, and co-loader. The hull and the turret of the AS90 Braveheart 155mm self-propelled howitzer are of all-welded steel armor construction with a maximum thickness of 17 mm which provides protection for the crew against the firing of small arms and shell splinters. There is a large door opening to the rear of the chassis for access and ammunition resupply and mounted on either side of this on the outside are two integral armored containers that can be used to store supplies and other equipment. Externally mounted on the turret shell are five stowage boxes, three to the right side and two to the left side, one for each crew member's use. There is a small hatch to the left side of the turret.
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Mobility
The AS90 Braveheart 155mm self-propelled howitzer is motorized with a Cummins VTA-903T-660 V-8 diesel engine developing 660 bhp at 2,800 rpm coupled to a Renk LSG 2000 fully automatic transmission with 4 forward and 2 reverse gears. The AS90 can run at a maximum road speed of 55 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 370 km. It can negotiate a gradient up to 60% and a side slope of 25% maximum. The vehicle can climb a vertical obstacle of 0.88 m and a trench of 2.8 m. It can ford a depth of 1.5 m without preparation. The hydro-pneumatic suspension of the AS90 consists on each side of 6 road wheels, four track-return rollers with the drive sprocket at the front, and an idler at the rear. The upper part of the suspension is protected by rubber plates.
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Combat Equipment
Standard equipment of the AS90 Braveheart 155mm self-propelled howitzer includes night vision, an NBC protection system, air conditioning, and a fire detection suppression system. The AS90 is also fitted with full navigation and auto-lay capability using the MAP's standard DRU based on ring laser gyro technology giving the gun complete autonomy. This enables the gun to be laid automatically in bearing as well as elevation. A diesel-powered auxiliary power unit is mounted in the forward part of the fighting compartment, so the main diesel engine does not need to be constantly run to operate the turret systems. A 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun can be mounted on the left hatch on the roof turret. Five smoke grenade dischargers are mounted on each side of the main gun.
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