G5 howitzer

The G5 is a South African towed 155 mm gun-howitzer of 45 calibres, developed by Armscor and produced by Denel Land Systems. It grew out of the Canadian GC-45 design, which South Africa heavily modified for local conditions after the United Nations arms embargo left the South African Defence Force with World War II era howitzers that Soviet rocket launchers outranged in the Angolan Bush War. A small auxiliary power unit lets the gun open its trails, lower its firing platform and move short distances under its own power at up to 16 kilometres per hour. The G5 became operational in 1983 and saw action in the South African Border War and the Iran-Iraq War. Standard extended-range shells reach about 30 kilometres, with more range from base bleed and rocket-assisted rounds. Its gun also became the basis of the self-propelled G6, and a longer 52-calibre G5-2000 followed in 2002.