The Santa Bárbara Sistemas 155/52 is a modern field howitzer designed and manufactured by the Spanish armament manufacturer Santa Bárbara Sistemas (SBS) a division of General Dynamics and was produced from 2002 to 2009 at the La Vega and Trubia factories in Asturias.[1]
| Santa Bárbara Sistemas 155/52 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Howitzer |
| Place of origin | Spain |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2002–present |
| Used by | Colombia Spain El Salvador |
| Production history | |
| No. built | 111 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 13,500 kg (29,800 lb) |
| Length | 10.3 m (33 ft 10 in) |
| Barrel length | 8.12 m (26 ft 8 in) L/52 |
| Width | 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) |
| Shell | Separate loading charge and projectiles |
| Calibre | 155 mm (6.1 in) NATO |
| Action | Hydraulic loader |
| Breech | Interrupted screw |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic |
| Carriage | Split trail |
| Elevation | −3° to +72° |
| Traverse | 40° |
| Rate of fire | 10 rpm |
| Effective firing range | 30 km (19 mi) conventional |
| Maximum firing range | 40 km (25 mi) rocket-assisted projectile.[1] |
| Engine | Diesel APU 106 hp (79 kW) |
| Maximum speed | 18 km/h (11 mph) |
The Santa Bárbara Sistemas 155/52 has a split trail carriage, hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism, interrupted screw breech, rifled autofretted barrel, articulated suspension with four pneumatic tires, and a muzzle brake. The barrel is produced by the German company Rheinmetall, while the gun carriage is produced by SBS.
For transport, the split trail carriage can be closed and the barrel and rotated 180° while being towed by an IVECO Pegaso 6x6 artillery tractor. There is also a 106 hp (79 kW) diesel auxiliary power unit (APU) at the front of the carriage with a driver's station that can move the gun at 18 km/h (11 mph) over short distances. The APU also powers the hydraulic automatic gun-laying system (AGLS) that controls elevation, traverse, spreading, and retraction. Two retractable wheels on the tail of the gun carriage can be lowered when the gun is being moved by the APU.[2]
The howitzer fires a variety of separate loading NATO standard projectiles, including extended-range base bleed and rocket-assisted projectiles up to 40 km (25 mi). The howitzer has a hydraulic ammunition loader that can be loaded at any angle and provides a high rate of fire.[1]
