Pegasus 155mm 39 Calibre Light Weight Howitzer
Singapore Light Weight Howitzer (SLWH)
Pegasus, also known as the Singapore Light Weight Howitzer (SLWH), is an 155mm 39 caliber howitzer with auxiliary power capability. In addition to giving the howitzer limited self-propelled capability, the power unit also provides for power traverse and ammunition loading. It has a a unique flick ramming loading system that lessens the load on the operators and improves firing rates and is transportable by either C-130 aircraft or CH-47 helicopter or other comparable aircraft.
The Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) is an independent engine unit on the Pegasus, which provides the gun with a short-range self-propelled capability. With the APU, the system is able to manoeuvre over terrain at a speed of 12 kilometers per hour. The Pegasus was the world's first heli-portable 155mm howitzer with a self-propelled capability. Also powered by the APU was the Ammunition Loading System (ALS) that automatically loads ammunition to reduce crew fatigue. This allows the gun crew to operate the Pegasus for a longer period while maintaining a burst rate of 3 rounds in 24 seconds. Each gun is also equipped with an advanced mechanical sight that can withstand firing shocks of up to 90Gs. This is critical for sustained operations given the system's lightweight structure. The Pegasus employs lightweight materials like titanium and high alloy aluminum that provides the strength and stability required to withstand the recoil force of a 155mm system. In spite of its light weight, the recoil of the Pegasus is a third lower than conventional 155mm howitzers. This is achieved through innovative recoil management design.
As a complex system that needs to be readily deployed for mobility, firing and heli-lifting, the Pegasus is easy to configure without any lifting support in the field. Through a simple seesaw action that shifts the gun’s center of gravity to suit the different missions, the Pegasus can be rapidly engaged for deployment in less than 2.5 minutes with a detachment of 8 men.
Pegasus was jointly developed by the Singapore Armed Forces, the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA), and ST Kinetics (a subsidiary of ST Engineering) beginning in the 1990s. In 1996, the Singapore Ministry of Defense signed an order for Pegasus howitzers to replace the LG1 105mm howitzers then in service. This allowed the Singapore Army to standardize its artillery on a single caliber. The remaining LG1 105mm howitzers were subsequently placed into storage. The first Pegasus howitzers were delivered to the Singapore Army in 2005 and the first live firing of them by Singapore Army units was during Exercise Thunder Warrior in January 2006.
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