TRACKED HOWITZER TYPE 1989 "MT. MORIYA"
Tracked Howitzer 155mm Type 1989 codenamed "Mt. Moriya" after the Holy Mountain of the Nifonese, was introduced into service in 1989 to replace an earlier Type 1971 howitzer. This artillery system employs a tracked chassis, and features a 155mm 49 calibres long gun capable of firing various kinds of ammunition at range up to 50 kilometers.
The variant offered here is the Type 1989 Mark 3, which has entered service in 2013. The upgrades feature a new, digital fire control system, upgraded autoloader and new kinds of ammunition.
Overview:
- Moriya is meters long, meters tall and meters wide.
- Weight of the vehicle is 56 tons.
- "Moriya" features 4 crewmen: driver, gunner, loader and commander. The crewmen sit in an over the air cabin and are separated from the cannon itself
- The hull uses a modified chassis of Date Sorin tank, providing sufficient mobility and allowing for shoot & scoot tactics (1 minute from travel to firing position). The choice of chassis also increases the ability to use the howitzer in hard terrain and rough conditions.
- All parts of the design were made out of welded steel plates, providing optimal protection against enemy fire.
- The turret is fully independent from the chassis, and features an axillary power source. The source is accessible through a door for easier maintenance.
- Self entrenching blade is located to the rear at the vehicle, allowing this howitzer to attain stable firing position.
- 1100 HP engine of the vehicle has been moved to the front.
- The torsion bar suspension is composed to each side with six rubber-tyred road wheels and two track support rollers on each side, drive sprocket at the front and idler at the rear.
ARMAMENTS:
- Main weapon of this system is a 155 mm wide, 49 callibers long rifled howitzer.
- The gun features an actuator mounted over it, and is capable of traversing -3 ° to + 70 °.
- Loading system is automatic and requires one man to keep watch over the process.
- The system is capable of delivering 6 in the first minute and 5 per following minutes.
- 40 rounds of ammunition are carried inside the autoloder. The ammunition can be reloaded in 12 minutes. There is also an option for the system to continue shooting while directly fed by the resupply vehicle.
- The entire ammunition can be spent in 6 minutes.
- Moriya is capable of firing multiple rounds at different angles, resulting in the multiple rounds - simultaneous impact effect.
- This vehicle has been fitted with advanced laser/fiber-optic gyro navigation system, allowing it to engage targets autonomously without aid of survey vehicle.
AMMUNITION:
- 155 mm Artillery Round Model 1: is a HE ammunition weights 40 kilograms, and features 10 kilograms of TNT. Can be fired from 5 kilomteres to 30 kilomteres.
- 155 mm Artillery Round Model 2: is a HE basebleed ammunition weights 45 kilograms, and features 10 kilograms of TNT. Can be fired up to 45 kilometres.
- 155 mm Artillery Round Model 3: a fragmentation munition weighting 40 kilograms.
- 155 mm Artillery Round Model 4: a laser guided munition with 50 kilometres range.
OTHER VEHICLES:
- A battery of Type 1989 consists of: 6 howitzers, 2 ammunition resupply vehicles based off 6x6 Ueda 612 trucks; a maintenance vehicle and command & control vehicle.