Contractor/s Japan Steel Works Mitsubishi Heavy Industries *
Description:
The Type 99, also known as Rongunozu, is a 155mm self-propelled howitzer (SPH) based on a tracked chassis and fielded by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) beginning in 2002. The Type 99 has been designed as the replacement for Type 75 SPH within the JGSDF artillery regiments. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Japan Steel Works are responsible for the chassis and turret respectively. The JGSDF is also procuring a tracked replenishment vehicle in support of Type 99 Self-Propelled Howitzers. Currently, the production rate is 7 to 8 SPHs per year.
The Type 99's 155mm cannon precisely engages surface targets at ranges of more than 30 kilometers and delivers a firing rate of three rounds per minute. In the burst mode, the Type 99's maximum firing rate is 18 rounds per minute. Its secondary armament consists of an M2 12.7mm roof-mounted machine gun for self-defense purposes. The turret only requires a crew of four-man compared to six in the Type 75 SPH. Powered by a 600-hp six-cylinder air-cooled four-cycle diesel engine the Type 99 achieves a top speed of 50 kph on road.
Specifications Accommodation: Crew 4
Guns: Main Gun Caliber 155 mm
Dimensions: Height 4.3 m, Length 11.3 m, Width 3.2 m
Weights: Max Weight 40,000 kg (88,183 lb)
Performance: Main Gun Max Range 30,000 m (98,425 ft), Top Speed 50 kph (31 mph)
Power: Power 600 hp
Other: Max Rate of Fire 18 rounds per minute, Sustained Rate of Fire 3 rounds per minute
Japan / 40 