Panter (Panther)

155mm Towed Howitzer [ 2002 ]

The 155mm Panter is a modern artillery piece in service with the armies of Pakistan and Turkey.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/06/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Many modern armies revolve around the tried-and-true doctrine of strong artillery and air support to accompany the spearhead of mechanized vehicles and troops. Most of these forces therefore rely on a large-caliber field weapon to fulfill the artillery portion of the requirement - which involves a massive exploding shell lobbed at range from behind the frontline. Such artillery is useful in damaging key enemy defenses and dislodging concentrations of troops while also posing a threat to armor. As such, the Turkish Army received the 155mm "Panter" ("Panther") towed artillery system in 2002 to replace its elderly stock of American-originated weapons which themselves were modernized as far as possible. The Panter began its design phase in the 1990s (assisted by ST Kinetics of Singapore), headed by the MKEK concern (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation), to which the piece entered the requisite trials and was formally adopted into service at the turn of the century. To date (2012), 255 systems have been procured with a total of 400 expected to fill the Turkish Army inventory. Pakistan has also ordered some 30 units for its own military. Despite the involvement of ST Kinetics, the Panter is largely considered the first "all-Turkish" towed artillery gun design. The Singapore Army's "FH-2000" gun is of a similar design and fields the same function as the Turkish Panter, the former having been introduced in 1993 and no doubt influencing the Turkish derivative.

The Panter is a complete towed artillery system weighing in at 18,000 kilograms with a running length of 11.6 meters. She is crewed by six personnel required to manage her various functions - from sighting to loading to firing. The weapon is loaded through the breech end of the barrel utilizing a semi-automatic interrupted screw action with an electrically-actuated rammer feature. The weapon is braced by a recoil system fitted at the carriage. The carriage itself is a twin axle split trail design utilizing four rubber-tired road wheels (to per side) while the trail doubles as the tow arms during transport and as recoil-reduction arms when set up to fire. A large double-baffle muzzle brake is added to barrel to further dampen the violent recoil action. A rather unique function of the Panter carriage is its auxiliary power unit (APU) - a DEUTZ air-cooled diesel motor of 160 horsepower - which enables the weapon to traverse terrain under its own central power (not entirely reliant on a mover vehicle), useful in relocating the weapon to another position without need for a dedicated mover vehicle. In this transport mode, the artillery system becomes its own vehicle and can move up to 20 kilometers per hour across ideal surfaces. Beyond its self-propelled nature, the Panter can be transported by a mover vehicle in a traditional fashion.

Like other modern battlefield artillery systems, the Panter is charged with firing a massive 155mm projectile to which it can reach ranges out to 40 kilometers depending on ammunition type being utilized. Furthermore, range can be increased through the use of rocket-assisted munitions. The Panter is cleared to fire all supported NATO projectiles in inventory while the principle shell is High-Explosive (HE) in nature. A trained gunnery crew can fire up to 6 rounds per minute under normal circumstances. The gun barrel can maneuver 20-degrees to the left or right and elevate from -3 degrees to +65 degrees. The Panter does not carry its own ammunition supply, relying instead on an ammunition resupply vehicle stationed near the gun. Ammunition handlers move the large shells into position near the breech.

The dedicated self-propelled artillery components fielded alongside the Panter in the Turkish Army is the T-155 Firtina ("Storm"), this based on the South Korean K9 "Thunder" SPG/SPA.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

MKEK - Turkey
Manufacturer(s)

Pakistan; Turkey
Operators

2002
Service Year

Turkey
National Origin

6
Crew

255
Units

FIRE SUPPORT / ASSAULT / BREACHING
Support allied forces through direct / in-direct fire, assault forward positions, and / or breach fortified areas of the battlefield.

39,683 lb
(18,000 kg)
Weight

19.8 tons
(Light-class)
Tonnage

None. This is a towed artillery piece.
Drive System

11 miles
(18 km)
Road Range

1 x 155mm gun barrel.

AMMUNITION
Dependent upon ammunition carrier.

Panter - Base Series designation

FH-2000 - Singaporean Army version on which the Panter is based on.

Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of the Bulge

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Kursk

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental military vehicles

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)

Land Systems / Battlefield

Panter (Panther)

155mm Towed Howitzer [ 2002 ]

The 155mm Panter is a modern artillery piece in service with the armies of Pakistan and Turkey.

Specifications