Belgian and Dutch army signed a cooperation agreement in the field of artillery 1403143

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Defence & Security News - Belgium / Netherlands
 
 
Friday, March 14, 2014 11:44 AM
 
Belgian and Dutch army signed a cooperation agreement in the field of artillery.
Wednesday March 12, 2014, a Belgian artillery battalion has performed a live firing demonstration together with a Dutch PzH 2000 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer and in collaboration with a Dutch fire support command team to demonstrate the capacities of the two armies to work together.
     
Wednesday March 12, 2014, a Belgian artillery battalion has performed a live firing demonstration in together with a Dutch PzH 2000 155mm tracked self-propelled howitzer and in collaboration with a Dutch fire support command team to demonstrate the capacities of the two armies to work together.
Belgian Land Forces Commander, the Major General Hubert De Vos (L), and the commander of the Dutch land forces, Lieutenant General Mart de Kruif (R).
     

Army Recognition editorial team was on more time on the field to follow this event. The live firing exercise was conducted to the military training area of Braschaat in Belgium.

The demonstration was attended by the commander of the Belgian Land Forces, the Major General Hubert De Vos, and the commander of the Dutch land forces, Lieutenant General Mart de Kruif.

This new cooperation allows the two armies to be more efficient for the use of artillery systems, but also in the field of training. The two countries can cover a large spectrum of missions than each can individually and also to meet the new needs of the current and future international operations.

Dutch artillerymen have fired with the PzH 2000, a 155mm self-propelled howitzer designed and manufactured in Germany by the Company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

The maximum range of the PzH 2000 gun using the maximum MTLS charges is 30 km with the standard L15A2 round and up to 40km with assisted projectiles.

The PzH 2000 uses an automatic shell-loading system which provides the vehicle to have a firing rate of 12 rounds in 1 minute.
     

PzH 2000 155mm self-propelled howitzer of Dutch Army.
     
The Belgian artillery unit has conducted the live firing demonstration with 120mm MO 120 RT F1 towed mortars and LG1 105 mm light towed howitzers.

The Thomson-Brandt MO 120 is a French 120 mm caliber rifled mortar. It fires 18.7 kg special projectiles to a maximum range of 12,000 meters at a rate of fire of 10 - 12 rounds per minute and for short bursts at 15 - 20 rounds per minute.

The MO 120 has a 2080 mm long barrel weighing 114 kg and the whole mortar has to be towed by a vehicle. In Belgium, the mortar is towed by the 4x4 armoured vehicle Dingo 2.
     

Live firing with MO 120 RT F1 120mm mortar of Belgian army.
     
The LG1 is a modern 105 mm towed howitzer designed and produced by GIAT Industries (now Nexter group) of France.

The gun was specifically designed for use by rapid deployment forces with attributes such as ruggedness, ease of operation and reduced weight.

According to Nexter Systems, only two types of ammunition are required to cover ranges between 1.4 and 18.5 km, while the new Nexter Munitions base bleed projectiles cover the ranges from 7.3 to 18.5 km. Nexter Munitions has also proposed a hollow base projectile covering the ranges 2.5 to 15 km.

The weapon can be loaded and fired at any elevation from -3 to +70° and also has a direct-fire capability out to 2,000 m.
     

LG1 105mm light towed howitzer of Belgian army.