| Raad-2 / Thunder-2 | |
|---|---|
 Illustration of Raad-2 | |
| Type | Self-propelled howitzer |
| Place of origin |
 Iran |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1997 - present |
| Used by | Iran |
| Wars | none |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Defense Industries Organization |
| Designed | September 1997 |
| Produced | 1997 - Present |
| Variants | Raad-2M |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 36 tons |
| Length | 6.72 m (without the gun) |
| Width | 3.10 m |
| Height | 1.66 m (without the turret) |
| Crew | 3 (commander, driver and gunner) |
|
| |
| Rate of fire | 5 rounds/min |
| Effective firing range | 30 km (19 mi) |
|
| |
Main armament | 155 mm HM44 howitzer |
Secondary armament | 12.7 mm HMG |
| Engine |
V-8 diesel for Raad-2 5TDF for Raad-2M 840 hp for Raad-2[1] 700 hp for Raad-2M [2] |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
Operational range | 500 km |
| Maximum speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) |
Raad-2 ("Thunder-2") is an Iranian self-propelled howitzer.
Design and development[]
In early September 1997 it was reported that Iran had successfully tested a locally built rapid fire mobile field gun known as Raad-2 (Thunder-2).
It uses a turret that has a similar layout to the M109A1 155mm/39-cal self-propelled howitzer. The Iranian Defense Industries Organization claimed that the 155 mm HM44 howitzer manufactured by the Hadid facility of the Iranian Defense Industries Organization had a high firing rate and accuracy. It was described as being able to fire five rounds per minute. The gun's range was reported as 30 km (19 mi), and it also includes features such as a laser range-finder and a semi-automatic loading system. The gun looks exactly like 155mm/39-cal M185 gun from M109A1 and is fitted with a double baffle muzzle brake, fume extractor, screw breech mechanism, hydro-pneumatic recuperator and a hydraulic recoil brake. It uses the Iranian-made Boragh APC chassis, a conversion of the either the Russian BMP-1 or Chinese Type 86 (WZ-501) IFV. It was described as being able to move with a speed of 70 km/h (43 mph) on the battlefield.
Variants[]
- Raad-2 - basic SPG version.
- Raad-2M - Raad-2 upgraded with a Ukrainian-made 5TDF engine instead of a V-8 Diesel engine.
See also[]
References[]
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Iran reveals details on self-propelled howitzer Jane's Defence Weekly
- Thunder 2 fas.org
- JED www.jedsite.info
- Jane's Tank Recognition Guide 2006.
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The original article can be found at Raad-2 and the edit history here.