T64 105mm [M101]
From the end of World War II to the early 1960s, 105mm caliber artillery was the main gun of the Western army division, but was gradually replaced by 155mm artillery. At present, 105mm artillery is mainly equipped with light troops and special forces. However, with the trend of lightweight armies in various countries around the world, especially the rapid development of new ammunition and fire control technology, 105mm artillery has ushered in new development opportunities and is likely to make a comeback.
Judging from the caliber, some people classify the 105mm artillery as a medium-caliber artillery, so it also plays a connecting role in combat use. It can temporarily serve as a heavy artillery for long-range fire support, and it can also complete temporary tasks together with other special-purpose artillery. The glorious era 105mm artillery played an important role during World War II. From the hot North African desert to the snowy Ural Mountains, from the ruins of the European battlefield to the deserted Pacific islands with few people, the shadow of the 105mm artillery can be seen. It was one of the main ground firepower of the warring parties during this period.
The United States developed the M101 towed howitzer in the 1940s and 1950s, the M52 self-propelled howitzer in the mid-1950s, and the M102, M119 towed howitzers and M108 self-propelled howitzers in the early 1960s. During the invasion of North Korea, the US military used tank chassis to mass-produce various tracked self-propelled artillery for tank air defense operations and to support infantry ground attacks, including the M45 105mm self-propelled howitzer produced based on the M26 "Pershing" tank chassis.
Typical examples during this period include Japan's Type 74, Switzerland's M46, Italy's Type 56, India's Mark2, South Korea's KH178, and Taiwan's T64. The United States handed over the design blueprint of the M101 105mm howitzer to Taiwan. Later, this 105mm howitzer was changed to joint logistics self-made. Most of the National Army 105s are US-aided equipment. While developed countries use 105mm artillery as auxiliary support firepower for special forces and light army, third world countries and regions still retain a large number of 105mm artillery due to some economic and political reasons. Currently, the Taiwan military is equipped with a large number of M101 105mm towed howitzers and M108 105mm self-propelled howitzers.
As the Cold War continued, 105mm artillery was rarely seen in the world arms market. This was mainly because in the late Cold War, all countries in the world were preparing for a regular world war, and the armies of all countries began to take the path of heavy weapons. The firepower of 105mm artillery could no longer meet the needs and was gradually replaced by 155mm or even larger caliber artillery.
Although there are a large number of 105mm artillery in the arsenals of countries around the world, they are almost all relics of the previous era, and their carrier platforms and fire control systems are outdated. The 105mm artillery of this period seems to have reached its end.
The frequent occurrence of local wars has once again reminded people of the 105mm artillery, a fire support system that combines lightness and long range. At this time, using the new achievements of decades of technological progress, the new 105mm artillery has been reborn and has the following advantages, making it once again the new favorite of ground forces.
Relatively small explosive power makes it more flexible to use on the battlefield. Compared with 155mm shells, the explosion range or mean area of ??effect (MAE) of standard shrapnel of 105mm shells is relatively smaller. In the past, this was a shortcoming of 105mm artillery. However, due to the frequent occurrence of local wars, the task of distinguishing between military and civilian targets has become increasingly important.
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