The German defense company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) delivered the first two of the 24 German PzH2000 self-propelled howitzers to the Hungarian Armed Forces (Magyar Honvedseg). The first 155mm self-propelled gun arrived on the night of August 10 and the second on the night of August 17. With a ceremony, the newly acquired vehicles joined the MH 25th György Klapka Infantry Brigade’s 101st Artillery Division At the György Klapka barracks. The Panzerhaubitze 2000, which will replace the Hungarian Armed Forces’ current Soviet-era D-20 152mm artillery systems, is a 155mm self-propelled howitzer based on a tracked, armored chassis manufactured by the German company Kraus-Maffei Wegman (KMW).
The Hungarian Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) on 19 December to buy 44 Leopard 2A7+ main battle tanks (MBTs) and 24 new Panzerhaubitze (PzH) 2000 self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) for more than HUF160 billion (USD565 million). The Hungarian Ministry of Defence is also buying 12 second-hand Leopard 2A4s for training purposes. Under the agreement much of the ammunition will be manufactured in Hungary. The new armoured vehicles are suitable for conventional as well as asymmetric warfare. The defense minister emphasized that the Hungarian government is steadfastly working to rebuild their artillery, one of the most significant ground weapons in the Hungarian Defense Forces.
The Panzerhaubitze 2000 abbreviated PzH 2000, is a German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall in the 1980s and 1990s for the German Army. It is capable of a very high rate of fire; in burst mode it can fire three rounds in nine seconds, ten rounds in 56 seconds, and can—depending on barrel heating—fire between 10 and 13 rounds per minute continuously. The PzH 2000 has automatic support for up to five rounds of Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact (MRSI). Two operators can load 60 shells and propelling charges in less than 12 minutes. The PzH 2000 equips the Armies of Italy, Ukraine, Netherlands, Greece, Lithuania, Hungary, Qatar and Croatia, mostly replacing older systems such as the M109 howitzer.
KMW supplied both the chassis, sharing some components with the Leopard 2, and the turret for the gun. The system has superb cross-country performance because of its use of continuous tracks and considerable protection in the case of counter-fire. Rheinmetall designed the 155 mm 52-calibre JBMOU compliant rifled gun, which is chromium-lined for its entire 8 m length and includes a muzzle brake on the end. The gun uses a new modular charge system with six charges, which can be combined to provide the optimal total charge for the range to the target, as well as the conventional bagged charge systems. The maximum range of the gun is 30–36 km with the standard DM121 Boattail round, about 40–47 km with base bleed rounds, and 67 km with M2005 V-LAP assisted projectiles.
