In the mid-90s of the last century, in order to support the American self-propelled M-109L with a 155/39 mm piece, the Italian Army modified the Astra 8x8 truck by installing the 70 / FH-155 cannon / howitzer. 39 mm.
The expressed need was to increase the mobility of the mechanical towing pieces. To meet this need, the Arsenale of the Army of Piacenza, at the request of the IV Department of the SME, built a truck, starting from the chassis of the 8x8 Astra BM 88.37 SM tactical heavy truck. The swiveling mass of the 70/155 mm FH-39 howitzer / cannon was anchored to the rear of the truck chassis.
The main innovation consisted in the development of a rear plate, operated by hydraulic jacks: this not only allowed to discharge the recoil force to the ground, but it facilitated the loading of the blows by the servants.
Compared to the FH-70, the only limitation of the autocannon was that relative to the tilt, limited to 18 ° (both positive and negative) with respect to the central axis of the vehicle. As far as weight was concerned, it was around 18 tons, thus allowing transportation on board the C-130H (then supplied to the 46th Pisa Air Force).
In addition, the autocannone had its strengths in a high rapidity of putting in battery (less than a minute), as well as in a high speed in the changes of deployment, in order to cancel the counterbattery fire.
Despite these non-secondary characteristics and low financial costs, the SME did not follow up the experimentation of the autocannon (the prototype carried out some shooting tests in the Nettuno shooting range with satisfactory results), preferring to channel the resources on the acquisition of the German self-propelled PzH-2000 (delivery ten years later - photo). Perhaps an old Cold War strategic conception had prevailed among the leaders of the Army.
In our view, the autocannon project should be reconsidered. Thanks to VULCANO ammunition, the maximum range of the 155 mm bullets fired by the FH-70 has doubled, therefore it would not be necessary to install a 52 caliber barrel (as for the French CAESAR - photo opening), thus limiting the overall dimensions.
To increase the shooting cadence an automatic loading system, known as flick framework and developed in the past just for the FH-70.
The recipients of the cannons would be the Medium Brigades and the Projection Force from the sea (horse artillery regiment Voloire of the brigade Pozzuolo del Friuli), by force of 18 units per regiment.
The high mass of the self-propelled PzH-2000 (55 tons in combat order) certainly does not allow a rapid deployment in a possible theater of crisis, while the autocannon could easily be embarked on the C-130J (hopefully in the future in a transport more capable aircraft) and / or on the LCM23 of the Navy.
Photo: web / Italian Army
