Country of origin |
Israel |
Entered service |
- |
Crew |
4 men |
Dimensions and weight |
Weight |
45 t |
Length (gun forward) |
13.5 m |
Hull length |
9 m |
Width |
3.72
m |
Height |
3.49 m |
Armament |
Main gun |
155 mm |
Barrel length |
52 calibers |
Machine guns |
1 x 12.7 mm |
Projectile weight |
43.7 kg |
Maximum firing range |
45 km |
Maximum rate of fire |
9 rpm |
Elevation range |
- 5 to + 70 degrees |
Traverse range |
360 degrees |
Ammunition load |
Main gun |
75 rounds |
Machine guns |
1 000 rounds |
Mobility |
Engine |
Continental AVDS 9AR 1790 diesel |
Engine power |
1 200 hp |
Maximum road speed |
60 km/h |
Range |
500 km |
Maneuverability |
Gradient |
60% |
Side slope |
40% |
Vertical step |
0.8 m |
Trench |
2.8 m |
Fording |
1.38 m |
Fording (with preparation) |
2.4 m |
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The Sholef
(Hebrew for "Slammer", which is slang in that language for
"Gunfighter") was an Israeli Self-Propelled Howitzer prototype,
built on the chassis of the
Merkava Mk.1. Development of this artillery system commenced
back in the 1970s. The project was considered of high national
priority and incorporated the newest technological developments. Two
prototypes of this vehicle were unveiled in 1984 and 1986,
respectively, but it was not selected for production. Instead the
Israeli Defense Forced selected upgraded version of American
M109
howitzer.
The Sholef's chassis, aside from a few minor modifications,
is identical to that of the Merkava Mk.1. The glacis plate is
unchanged, except for the addition of a support bracket for the gun
tube, which is folded down when not in use. As such, the Sholef and
Merkava series share a large percentage of common components.
The front-left side of the chassis has a prominent exhaust
louver, along with a much smaller port just in front of it; the
exact function of this port is uncertain, though the soot seen
around it in photos of the Sholef suggests it may be a new or
additional exhaust port, or perhaps an outlet for a smoke generator.
The Sholef
can be ready to fire only 15 seconds after coming to a complete
stop, and fire three projectiles in only 15 seconds. It is also
compatible with standard NATO 155 mm ammunition, and a total of 75
projectiles can be stowed in one Sholef, 60 of which are ready for
combat.
The Sholef's
155 mm/52 gun is an original design created by Soltam, though it
bears a resemblance to South Africa's G5 Howitzer. It has a fume
extractor and muzzle brake, and is kept stationary by a travel lock
while the vehicle is on the move. This gun has a maximum rate of
fire of 9 rounds/min, and a range in excess of 40 000 m when firing
an ERFB-BB round. Though loaded automatically, the gun may be cycled
and fire manually if the need arises.
While the gun is normally carried by a travel lock as with
most other self-propelled howitzers while the Sholef is on the move,
the weapon is stabilized and can actually be used for direct-fire
while the vehicle is moving, giving it much greater self-defense
capability than most other vehicles of its type.
A crew of 4 is required to fully-operate the Sholef. Air
conditioning and heating for the crew are provided, as is a ration
heater.
The hull has
the same ballistic protection as the Merkava Mk.1. The armor on
the turret is sufficient to defeat small arms fire, shell splinters,
blast overpressure, and most heavy machine gun rounds. The armor is
augmented by spall liners, and the same overpressure NBC system as
the Merkava Mk.1 is fitted. There is also a back-up collective NBC
system.
The running gear consists of 6 unevenly-spaced rubber-tired
roadwheels on each side, and 5 return rollers, the second from the
rear of which is noticeably larger than the others. The drive
sprocket is forward, and the conspicuously-spoked idler is rear.
These may be partially-obscured by track skirts, of which the
Merkava Mk.1 has 10 panels, with a wavering underside, and little
coverage of the sprocket or idler.
The unit cost of the Sholef is unknown, but it is presumably
no longer offered for sale.
 |
Article by
BLACKTAIL
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