Description:
Palmaria is a self-propelled howitzer based on the OF-40 tracked chassis and fitted with turret-mounted 155mm 41-caliber cannon. It features enhanced weapon range, mobility, rate of fire and protection. Palmaria was developed by OTO Melara in the early 1980s for the export market. Powered by a 750-hp diesel engine it can reach a top speed of 60 kph. In addition to the 155mm gun as primary armament, Palmaria's turret was equipped with a 7.62mm machine gun.
The cannon's automatic shell loading system allows for firing a round every 15 seconds during three minutes. Palmaria's sustained rate of fire is 1 round per minute for 1 hour or 1 round per three minutes indefinitely. Palmaria's main gun range is 24,000 meters or 30,000 meters using Rocket Assisted Projectiles (RAPs). First production Palmaria self-propelled howitzer rolled off the production line in 1982. The first customer for this artillery system was Libya.
Specifications Accommodation: Crew 5
Guns: Main Gun Caliber 155 mm
Dimensions: Height 2.5 m, Length 11.5 m, Width 3.4 m
Weights: Max Weight 46,000 kg (101,411 lb)
Performance: Main Gun Max Range 30,000 m (98,425 ft), Max Range 500 km (270 nm), Top Speed 17 mps (32 kt)
Power: Power 750 shp
Other: Max Rate of Fire 4 rounds per minute, Sustained Rate of Fire 1 rounds per minute
Libya
Nigeria