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GCT 155mm
Type	Self-Propelled Artillery
Place of origin	France
Service history
In service	1977-present
Used by	Saudi Arabia, Iraq and France
Production history
Designed	1976
Manufacturer	Nexter
Produced	1977-1995
No. built	400
Specifications
Mass	41.949 tonnes
Length	10.25 m
Width	3.15 m
Height	3.25 m
Crew	4; Commander, Driver, Gunner and Loader
Armor	20 mm
Main armament	One 155 mm cannon
Secondary armament	One 7.62mm or 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun
Engine	Hispano-Suiza HS 110 12-cylinder water-colled multi-fuel engine. 720 hp
Operational range	450km
Maximum speed	60 km/h on-road.

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The GTC 155mm is a modern self-propelled artillery vehicle currently in use by the armies of France and Saudi Arabia. It replaced the former Mk F3 155mm in French Army service. The GTC 155mm's primary advancement is that it incorporates and provides nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) protection for its crew of four, while the former Mk F3 offered no protection and could carry only two of its four crew members. Though 60% heavier than the American M109 (the world's most produced and employed self-propelled artillery vehicle), the GTC 155mm is both faster, and incorporates a more sophisticated fire control system. The GTC 155mm saw combat with the Iraqi Army in the Iran-Iraq War.

History

Though the French Mk 3 155mm would remain in production through the 1980's, by the early 1970's the French Army realized there was an urgent need for its replacement. The Mk. 3 155mm lacked an automatic loading system, but more importantly it lacked nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) protection for its crew, and could carry only two of the four crew members needed to operate it (the remaining two having to be transported in support vehicles). Development of the GTC 155mm began in the early 1970s, and the first production version, known as the AUF1, was introduced in 1977. About 400 have been produced, with 70 having been upgraded to the AUF2 variant.

AUF1

The GTC 155mm AUF1 is based on the AMX30 main battle tank (MBT) chassis and equipped with a 155mm 39-caliber gun with an auto-loading system, giving a rate of fire of eight rounds/minute, and a sustained Rate of Fire 6 rounds per minute. It is also equipped with a roof-mounted 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun. The AUF1 has an effective range of 23,500 meters firing conventional rounds and 28,000 meters using Rocket Assisted Projectiles (RAPs).

The first production AUF1s were delivered exclusively to the Saudi Arabian Army, while the French Army received their first deliveries in 1980, deploying the GTC 155mm AUF1 in regiments of 18 guns each. In addition, the Iraqi Army received a small number of GTC 155mm AUF1 variants in 1980, which they employed during the Iran-Iraq War.

AUF2

The AUF2 is an improved turret for the GTC 155mm designed and built by GIAT. The AUF2 155mm howitzer and turret are designed for integration onto a wider range of armored chassis such as AMX30, Leopard 1, Arjun and T-72. It was initially developed to upgrade the GTC 155mm AUF1 self-propelled howitzers then in service with the French Army. The French Army has procured approximately 70 AUF2 turrets and mounted them on the AMX30B2 chassis.

Improvements in the AUF2 include an all-new automatic round and charge feed system and a new 52-caliber artillery tube. New charges and rounds are also available for the AUF2. The AUF2 is equipped with a 7.62mm anti-aircraft machine gun located at the roof of the turret. The AUF2 turret, including the gun and loading systems, weighs nearly 19 tons. Compared with the AUF1, the AUF2 offers a significantly improved range of 42 km, a higher rate of fire of 10 rounds/minute and multiple rounds simultaneous impact. In use, the weapon system has been found to have greater reliability, accuracy and ease of maintenance.

Comparison to M109

Though the M109 155mm continues to be the most deployed self-propelled artillery vehicle in the world (with over 4000 produced it is currently in use with over 30 nations), the GTC 155m offers significant improvements over the older American design. Despite being considerably larger and heavier than the American design (41,949kg compared to 23,723kg), the GTC 155mm's sophisticated auto-loading system allows it to operate with a crew of four enclosed within a relatively spacious interior, while the M109 requires a crew of six operating in comparatively cramped quarters. With a maximum road speed of 60 km/hour the GTC 155mm is also 4 k/hour faster than the M109. The effective range of the GTC 155mm is 450 km, while the effective range of the M109 is 390 km. Despite numerous upgrades, only the completely redesigned M109A6 Paladin variant is a true equal to the GTC 155mm, but at significantly greater cost