IRQ - Mažnun (155 mm samohybná houfnice)

The Al Majnun (also referred to as Al Majnoon in some sources) is a self-propelled 155 mm calibre howitzer, capable of using NATO-compatible ammunition.


Its development began in 1988, when Canadian designer Dr. Gerald Vincent Bull signed a contract with Iraq to assist in the construction of modern artillery and missile systems.


The prototype howitzer, whose structural parts were ordered from several European countries by Bull's company Space Research Corporation (barrel from France, Mercede Benz gun engines from Germany, final assembly by SITECSA in Spain), was first presented in 1989 at the Baghdad arms exhibition (where it was transported by Soviet aircraft from assembly in Spain).


The gun's chassis and the gun itself is very similar to the South African G6 self-propelled howitzer, with which it shares some of the gun's design - both guns were based on the original Bull's GC-45 design (this gun, manufactured by the Austrian GNH-45 armament factory, was also in the Iraqi army's arsenal of 300 pieces).


In 1990, tests of the weapon were completed and the weapon was ready for mass production. After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, an arms embargo was imposed on Iraq and the supply of the necessary design elements for the production of the weapon was stopped - although it is possible that a few pieces were made from stock or from parts bought on the black market. Most likely, however, the weapon was not deployed in combat in 1991 or in 2003.


Basic tactical and technical data:
Caliber: 155 mm (NATO compatible)
Length:
Height:
Width:
Barrel length: approx. 8000 mm
Weight: 43000 kg
Max. 30200 m (EFRB-type subcaliber projectile) / 38800 m (ERFB-BB-type grenade)
Cadence: 4 rpm
Range: +-40°
Aim: 72°
Max. 88-90 km/h on the road / up to 60 km/h off-road


Source: Lukáš Visingr: Al Majnum and Al Fao: Iraqi artillery dreams, ATM 01/2009, ISSN1802-4823
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Fao[/i]

Pravdepodobne Al Majnun na výstave v roku 1989 v Bagdade. Za ňou by mala byť hlaveň húfnice Al Fao.



(Pozn.: uvedený text je iba môj odhad - v zdroji uvádzajú že ide o snímku húfnice Al Fao, o Al Majnum sa tam nehovorí. Ale pri porovnaí tohto snímku so snímkou Al Fao nie sú identické kamuflážne nátery, takže pravdepodobne nejde o to isté vozidlo).

www.secretprojects.co.uk

Al-Fao a al-Mažnun, irácká dělostřelecká dvojčata
(الفاو و المجنون ، دوقلوهای توپخانه ای عراق)
Autor: Sina Nurikchani (سینا نوریخانی)


Po obsazení země protiiráckou koalicí byl prototyp nalezen v blíže nelokalizovaném armádním skladu. Osud prototypu není znám.
Poznámka:
Arabské skovo: المجنون (al-Mažnun) se překládá jako "blázen".

Zdroj:
www.military.ir

01.06.2014


Iráčan Ali Al-Arif (علي العارف) na FB tvrdil, že po válce v roce 2003 bylo toto samohybné dělo k vidění pod mostem dálnice Mohammada al-Qasima mezi táborem al-Rasheed a Novým Bagdádem (odhad 33°18'10.50"N 44°28'02.70"E).

Zdroj:
www.facebook.com

P. S.
Sháním arabštiny znalého, který pomůže napsat zdvořilé dopisy adresovanané FB sekci Army of Iraq a Ali Al-Arifovi.