G6 howitzer

The G6 self-propelled howitzer is a South African artillery piece, developed around the ordnance of the G5 howitzer.

In addition to the logistical mobility afforded by a wheeled chassis, the G6 is protected against counter battery fire and is able to defend itself in an unsecured area.

The chassis is mine-protected. The G6 is produced in South Africa by the Land Systems division of Denel. It entered production in 1987.

Ammunition characteristics

G5/G6 ammunition

• Maximum range:
  • 30,000 m with standard HE rounds,
  • 39,000 m with HE base bleed rounds, and
  • 42,000 m with HE base bleed rounds (BB—fired from G6-52)
  • 50,000 m with HE base bleed rounds (BB—fired from G6-52 extended range)
  • 52,500 m with a special velocity-enhanced long range projectile (V-LAP—fired from G6).
  • 58,000 m with a special velocity-enhanced long range projectile (V-LAP—fired from G6-52).
  • 67,450 m M9703A1 V-LAP round (tested successfully to 73,000 m by Denel in G6-52 extended range platform)
• Minimum range: 3,000 m.
• Rate of fire: 4 round/min, 2 round/min sustained.
• Ammunition: 155 mm ERFB. 47 rounds, 50 charges, 64 primers and fuzes
• Accuracy: 0.1% of range in azimuth, 0.48% of range in range
• In 2012 four rounds of M982 Excalibur precision guided munitions were fired to a range of 38 km, all landing within 5 m of the target.^[3]

Variants

• G6

G6 Rhino

• G6 M1A3: exported UAE version
• G6-52 (23 litre chamber)
• G6-52 extended range (25 litre chamber)
  • Reduced crew to 3–5;
  • can fire projectile up to 67 km at a rate of fire of eight rounds/minute;
  • increased off-road speeds to nearly 70 km/h;
  • implemented multiple rounds simultaneous impact (MRSI) technology and can land six (G6-52L variant) or five (G6-52) rounds simultaneously at targets up to 25 km away; and
  • is currently undergoing extensive trials.
• G6 Marksman: a British SPAAG version, combining the G6's base vehicle with the Marksman turret.^[4]

Operators

Map of G6 operators in blue

• South Africa: 43 systems;^[5] only two in active service,^[6] Also known as the GV6 Rhino within the South African National Defence Force.^[7]
• United Arab Emirates: 78 systems^[5]
• Oman: 24 systems^[5]

Combat history

The G6 was deployed by expeditionary units of the South African Defence Force during the Angolan Civil War, making its combat debut during Operation Moduler (part of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale) in December 1987. On one occasion reconnaissance elements observed Angolan interceptors attempting to take off from an airfield near Cuito Cuanavale and directed G6 artillery fire that destroyed four Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s on the ground.^[2] However the advantage that the G5 and G6s gave the South Africans on the ground could not be pressed to their advantage against the Cubans who held air superiority, so a military stalemate was reached.^[8]

Gallery

See also

• Gerald Bull
• Archer Artillery System
• ATMOS 2000
• CAESAR self-propelled howitzer
• Nora B-52

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to G6 howitzer.

• G6 profile from FAS
• G6-52 Press Overview
• Denel G6-52 official web page

Armoured Fighting Vehicles of South Africa
Armoured cars	Eland Marmon-Herrington Rooikat
Infantry Fighting Vehicles	Badger Mbombe Ratel
Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP)	Buffel Casspir Hippo Mamba Marauder Matador Maverick Okapi RCV-9 Reva RG-12 RG-19 RG-31 Nyala RG-32 Scout RG-33 RG-34 RG-35 RG-41 RG Outrider PUMA M26-15
Artillery, transport and combat engineering	Chubby G6 Rhino Mfezi Valkiri SAMIL
Related articles	Equipment of the South African Army South African Army