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Gaijin announced the Panzerhaubitz 2000 to War Thunder, one of the world’s most advanced howitzers, coming into play for two nations at once.
The Panzerhaubitz 2000
In a major Storm Warning update, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 joins Germany in the main tech tree and Italy in War Thunder as a premium Hungarian variant with a unique camouflage net. The 155mm cannon and devastating HE grenades are all you need to annihilate any enemy! Let’s take a closer look.
The Panzerhaubitz 2000 can be considered one of, if not the best howitzer in the world (it’s also the most expensive artillery system), thanks to its devastating 155mm L52 howitzer, which is approximately 8 meters long. The strength of this weapon is its ballistics – it can fire HE grenades with a high muzzle velocity, capable of hitting enemy vehicles at long range. At long ranges, a handy laser rangefinder can be used in conjunction with the main howitzer to ensure accurate firing.
Weighing approximately 58 tonnes, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 can reach an excellent top speed of 60 km/h on the road thanks to its 1,000 HP engine. You’ll be able to use this speed to your advantage by taking tactical positions early or performing fast, aggressive manoeuvres at closer ranges.
However, having an excellent gun and mobility has a downside, and that is its armor and crew space. The Panzerhaubitze 2000 has thin steel armor all around and additional armor on the roof (known as “Hedgehog Armor”), which is enough to withstand light or heavy machine gun fire, but any hit from the tank’s guns will easily penetrate it. Once penetrated, the 5 crew members, consisting of the commander, gunner, driver and two loaders, can be easily disabled due to the size of the vehicle and the compact arrangement of the crew and ammunition. Keep this in mind.
History of PZH 2000
The Panzerhaubitze 2000 dates back to the SP70 program, which was established in the early 1970s in cooperation with Germany, Great Britain and Italy. The goal of this program was to replace the aging M109 howitzers in the armament of these three countries with a more modern vehicle with a longer and more powerful 155mm caliber howitzer. However, the project was cancelled in 1986 due to design problems and the companies involved went their separate ways. The UK continued to design and produce the AS-90 and Germany the Panzerhaubitz 2000. Design work on the Panzerhaubitz 2000 by Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann began in 1987 and was completed in 1995, with the vehicle entering service with the German Army in 1998.
Hungary ordered 24 brand new Panzerhaubitz 2000s in 2018 and received the first two in August 2022. 23 were delivered by summer 2024. These vehicles replaced the outdated Soviet D-20 152 mm calibre artillery systems previously in service with the Hungarian Army.
