Artillery / Towed guns / Soltam M-68
Soltam M-68
General Facts
- TYPE
Towed howitzer - ORIGIN
Israel
- NICKNAMES
G4 (M-71 in South African service) - DESIGNED
1968 (M-68)
1974 (M-71) - DESIGNER
Tampella & Soltam - PRODUCTION
1970 - ? (M-68)
1975 - ? (M-71) - PRODUCERS
Israel - Soltam
- QUANTITY
Over 200 produced. - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
High tow speed on road and in the field
Limited maximum range in M-68
Introduction
The M-68 is a late Cold War era towed howitzer of Israeli origin. It was the first indigenious towed howitzer produced in Israel. The M-68 may have been partially or fully designed by Tampella of Finland. The M-68 was developed into the M-71, which in turn forms the basis of the newer M845 and TIG towed howitzers developed in Israel.
Layout
The M-68 uses a split trail carriage with four roadwheels fitted on two bogeys. In transport configuration the ordnance is rotated rearwards to align with the trails. A direct and indirect fire sight are located on the left side of the cradle. The 33-caliber ordnance is fitted with a fume extractor and single baffle muzzle brake. The M-71 is an improved model with 39-caliber ordnance and compressed air rammer. A crew of 8 is required to operate the weapon. There is no gun shield.
Firepower
The M-68 and M-71 fire NATO standard 155mm ammunition. The M-68 has a maximum range of 21 km with NATO standard shells and 23.5 km with Tampella ammunition. The longer barrel of the M-71 increases the maximum range to 30 km with base bleed ammunition. The rate of fire is 4 rpm for short periods and 2 rpm sustained. The compressed air rammer on the M-71 increases the maximum rate of fire to 5 rpm.
Mobility
The M-68 is towed by a 6x6 5-ton truck. The four wheel chassis and large tires allow for a high cross country speed. The weight distribution of the ordnance in travel configuration results in a high maximum road speed of 100 km/h. There is no APU and the M-68 is too heavy to transport by hand.
Users
The M-68 and M-71 have been sold to various nations in Africa and Asia. Both models also saw service in Israel and are reported to remain in storage. The M-71 was actively used by South African forces during the various conflicts in Southern Africa.
M-68
M-68: The M-68 is the baseline production model and was the first towed howitzer to be produced in Israel. The M-68 combines the Tampella designed split trail chassis with the indigenious 155mm 33-caliber ordnance. The M-68 can be identified by the limited space between the muzzle brake and fume extractor.
- Specifications:
- M-68
Type | Towed howitzer |
---|---|
Crew | 8 |
Ordnance | 155mm L/33 howitzer, 5.180 m barrel |
Elevation | -5 to +52° |
Traverse | 84° total |
Rate of fire | 4 rpm (max), 2 rpm (sustained) |
---|---|
Range | 21.0 km with NATO standard ammunition, 23.5 km with Tampella ammunition |
Carriage | 4 wheel split trail carriage, 0.38 m ground clearance, 2.2 m track |
Weight | 8.5 t (firing position), 9.5 t (travelling) |
Length | 7.2 m (travelling) |
Width | 2.58 m (travelling) |
---|---|
Height | 2 m (travelling) |
Towing vehicle | 6x6 truck |
Speed | 100 km/h on roads |
Remarks | - |
M-71
M-71: The M-71 is an improved model of the M-68. It differs from the M-68 in having a longer 39-caliber barrel with associated improved range. The M-71 also has a compressed air rammer that increases loading speed, especially at elevation. The M-71 was produced in larger numbers than the M-68.
- Specifications:
- M-71
Type | Towed howitzer |
---|---|
Crew | 8 |
Ordnance | 155mm L/39 howitzer, 6.045 m barrel |
Elevation | -3 to +52° |
Traverse | 90° total |
Rate of fire | 5 rpm (max), 2 rpm (sustained) |
---|---|
Range | 23.5 km with standard ammunition, 30.0 km with base bleed ammunition |
Carriage | 4 wheel split trail carriage, 0.38 m ground clearance, 2.2 m track |
Weight | 9.2 t (travelling) |
Length | 7.5 m (travelling) |
Width | 2.58 m (travelling) |
---|---|
Height | 2.12 m (travelling) |
Towing vehicle | 6x6 truck |
Speed | 100 km/h on roads |
Remarks | - |