G7 howitzer

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G7 105 mm howitzer
G7 105 mm howitzer
Type	Light howitzer
Production history
Designer	Denel Ordnance
Designed	Between 1995 and 1997
Manufacturer	Denel Ordnance
Specifications
Weight	3,800 kg
Length	6.9 m (travelling)
Barrel length	52L (excluding muzzle brake)
Width	2.02 m (travelling)
Height	2.1 m (travelling)
Crew	5

Caliber	105 mm
Breech	Semi-automatic swing and slide type
Recoil	Gas based with 1 meter travel
Carriage	Split trail
Elevation	-5 to +75 degrees
Traverse	+/- 40 degrees
Rate of fire	6 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	up to 950 m/s
Effective range	up to 32 km with base bleed projectile
Sights	Telescopic sight for direct fire and panoramic sight for indirect fire

The G7 is a South African 105 mm howitzer, produced by Denel. With a maximum range of 32 km (20 miles) it outranges all existing 105 mm howitzers, as well as most current 155 mm howitzers (Denel's own 155's not included). During development, it was known as the Light Experimental Ordnance (LEO), with the G7 label being chosen later to fit in with Denel's two existing howitzer products, the G5 towed 155 mm howitzer and the G6 self-propelled 155 mm howitzer.

In 2004 Denel partnered with General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) to offer the gun in self-propelled form to the United States Army. GDLS provided an armoured vehicle (the LAV III), while Denel provided a G7 mounted inside a specially-designed, unmanned turret. The combined system weighs only 17.5 tons when fully loaded with ammunition, making it light enough to be transportable inside a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The combination took part in a number of successful tests for the US Army, with more currently planned for 2005. Though currently unfunded, the US Army has indicated a requirement for such a system to equip its Stryker Brigade, as due to weight limits the Strykers cannot use current self-propelled howitzers and the towed howitzers it uses at present are a limiting factor on its mobility.

Interest in the system has also been exhibited by the militaries of South Africa, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. In addition, the US Army and United States Marine Corps (USMC) have exhibited interest in the towed version as a possible replacement for their towed 105 mm howitzer stocks.

In parallel with the G7's testing on the LAV-III Denel is also planning to fit it and its turret to a Rooikat armoured vehicle for its offer to the South African Army.

[edit] AMLAGC

In April 2007, it was reported that Armscor, the South African defence procurements agency, was about to award Denel a contract to develop a more advanced version of the G7, to be dubbed the Advanced Multirole Light Artillery Gun Capability (AMLAGC). Under the proposed contract, the G7 would see a "significant increase" in capability, including a weight reduction to 2,500kg or less and the development of V-LAP ammunition to boost the range to 36km. ¹