The Taiwanese army wants to buy the new "Morana" wheeled self-propelled gun from the Czech Republic.
According to Taiwan media reports a few days ago, the Taiwan military wants to buy a new "Morana" wheeled self-propelled gun from the Czech Republic and a chassis for military trucks, which has attracted attention from the outside world.
Recently, the Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies, Makta Pekalova Adamova, led 160 businessmen, scientists and officials to Taiwan, the largest Czech delegation to date. The Taiwan authorities have decided to purchase military weapons and equipment from the Czech Republic, including 200-400 large military vehicles, to be used as launchers for its anti-aircraft and cruise missiles.
Regarding Czech House Speaker Adam Mova's recent move to sneak into Taiwan, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council responded that the DPP authorities, out of the purpose of "Taiwan independence," have unscrupulously engaged in so-called "parliamentary diplomacy," wooed anti-China parliamentarians from various countries, created incidents that violated the one-China principle, and staged a farce of plotting "independence." None of these tactics can change the fact that Taiwan is part of China. We urge the Czech side to immediately correct its erroneous words and deeds on the Taiwan issue and return to the correct path of abiding by the one-China principle.
The "Morana" wheeled self-propelled gun has a high degree of automation and has the ability to "hit and run".
How many pounds and taels is the "Morana" self-propelled gun?
When it comes to Czech wheeled self-propelled guns, some military enthusiasts should quickly think of the "Dana" or "Zuzana" series of self-propelled guns, in the 70s of the last century, Czechoslovakia developed a 152mm wheeled self-propelled gun called "DANA", which left a deep impression due to the rare design of the turret center. After the end of the Cold War, the Czech Republic and Slovakia separated, and the two countries that inherited the mantle continued to develop the "Dana" series of self-propelled guns, Slovakia developed the "Zuzana" series, the caliber was changed to the 155 mm caliber gun commonly used in the West, and the Czech Republic continued to use the 152 mm caliber, developing the "Dana" M1 and "Dana" M2, and the range and degree of automation were further improved.
Later, the Czech Republic developed the DITA wheeled self-propelled gun that could fire NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition. The gun follows the turret mid-mounted design of the Dana series guns, but adopts a new off-road truck chassis (Taitara 815 8X8 truck chassis), with a combat weight of about 29 tons, a maximum travel speed of 90 km / h, and a maximum mileage of 600 km. "Dita" has an unmanned turret, a high degree of automation, is equipped with a 45 times diameter 155 mm gun, has a maximum range of 50 km, an ammunition base of 40 rounds, a rate of fire of 5 rounds / min, and can use guided munitions.
The "DANA" wheeled self-propelled gun made a deep impression due to its rare turret mid-mounted design.
"Morana" wheeled self-propelled gun is a follow-up product of "Dita", the design idea refers to the Swedish "Archer" self-propelled gun, in fact, it is a combination of "Dita" self-propelled gun + Slovak 52 times diameter 155 mm gun, but the chassis was replaced with a T815-7 type 8×8 all-wheel drive off-road truck chassis, the turret did not follow the mid-mounted type, and a rear-mounted type similar to the "Archer" was chosen. The double-door armored cab in front has 4 seats, which can protect against small arms fire and shell fragments, behind the cab is an ammunition room, and behind the ammunition compartment is an unmanned turret with a polyhedral design, mainly a 52 times diameter 155 mm caliber howitzer provided by Slovakia, which can fire NATO standard ammunition, burst rate of fire of 6 rounds / min, continuous rate of fire of 5 rounds / min, maximum range of more than 50 km, can carry out single, rapid burst, interval fire, with simultaneous multiple rounds of impact capability.
The vehicle is equipped with 3 circular hydraulic hoes, distributed in the middle of both sides and the rear of the car, which can be automatically retracted, coupled with advanced navigation systems and fire control systems, which allow self-propelled guns to achieve a stop strike in less than 40 seconds, with the ability to "hit and run", which further improves survivability while ensuring strike capability. It is worth mentioning that the gun is also equipped with a remote-controlled weapon station, which can optionally be equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun or other caliber small arms to enhance self-defense capabilities.
To sum up, "Morana" is a wheeled self-propelled gun developed by the Czech Republic inheriting the previous self-propelled gun technology and combining some new artillery technology, characterized by high mobility and high degree of automation, compared with tracked self-propelled guns, its lighter weight, better road mobility, and compared with the "Caesar" truck gun, the degree of automation is higher, and the protection performance is better.
The "DITA" wheeled self-propelled gun received a new chassis.
Why do you want to introduce?
At present, the Taiwan authorities and Czech officials have not publicly expressed their position on the arms deal, and it is likely that they are still in the negotiation stage. Next, let's talk about why the Taiwanese army wants to buy the Czech "Morana" wheeled self-propelled gun.
The first reason is that in recent years, the Czech and Taiwan authorities have become relatively close, taking advantage of each other politically and taking advantage of each other's needs. The "Morana" wheeled self-propelled gun developed by the Czech Republic can meet the needs of the Taiwan military in terms of performance, and after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Taiwan military is also actively tracking and studying this conflict, coupled with the US think tank "suggestions and suggestions", that the wheeled artillery with good mobility can "hit and run", such as wheeled self-propelled howitzers, "Haimas" wheeled high-mobility artillery and other artillery are suitable for the Taiwan army, therefore, the Taiwan army wants to import military off-road trucks and self-propelled guns and other equipment from the Czech Republic.
The second reason is that the US military production industry cannot deliver the purchased weapons to the Taiwan military on time due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In September last year, according to information provided by the Taiwan authorities, the Taiwan military had already said that it would abandon the original purchase of 40 M109A6 self-propelled guns and instead purchase 18 sets of "Hymas" long-range rocket artillery systems; in addition to the 11 sets of "Hymas" that the Taiwan military had already ordered, the number of "Hymas" long-range rocket artillery ordered by the Taiwan military from the United States would reach 29, the number of supporting tactical area ballistic missiles (ATACMS) would increase to 84, and 864 additional 227-mm rockets with precision attack capabilities would be purchased.
The military industry in Taiwan developed a truck gun for the XT-69 155mm towed howitzer, but for various reasons the project was fruitless.
The third reason is the backwardness of the military industry on the island, which makes it impossible to develop wheeled self-propelled guns that meet the needs. In fact, the Taiwan military industry has shown a truck gun (a kind of wheeled self-propelled gun), which was first publicly unveiled in 2007, developed by the 202 Arsenal of Joint Logistics on the island, and is a combination of XT-69 155mm towed howitzer and 4X6 medium tactical off-road truck. XT-69 is a product of the South African G5 gun imitated by the military industry on the island in the late 70s of the last century, but due to the technical failure, the performance was unqualified and was not listed. The XT-69 gun is 7 meters long, uses 45 times the diameter, and has a maximum range of 29 kilometers. The truck gun weighs about 18 tons, adopts the layout commonly used in truck guns, is equipped with firing control and gun control system, and has a high degree of automation to meet the needs of rapid response. Like the XT-69 towed howitzer, the truck gun ended up being stillborn for technical reasons.
The "grandfather"-level old guns now equipped by the Taiwan military are the object of ridicule from the outside world. At present, the total strength of the Taiwan military is about 169,000, and the land combat strength is about 100,000. The artillery of the Taiwan Army is mainly equipped with artillery headquarters and brigade artillery, of which artillery headquarters include the 21st Artillery Command, the 43rd Artillery Command and the 58th Artillery Command. The artillery headquarters is a brigade-level unit with a number of artillery groups and directly subordinate rocket artillery battalions and air defense battalions, and the artillery group has a number of artillery battalions, each battalion is equipped with 18 towed guns or self-propelled guns, the artillery models include M114 155mm towed howitzer, M110A2 203mm self-propelled howitzer, M109A2/A5 155mm self-propelled howitzer; The direct rocket artillery battalion is equipped with "Thunder"-2000 multiple rocket launchers; Brigade artillery has one artillery battalion and three combined battalions, usually armed with 24 self-propelled guns or towed guns, and the fire company of the combined battalion is equipped with 12 self-propelled mortars.
The M114 155mm towed howitzer is still one of the main artillery equipment of the Taiwan army.
In terms of barreled artillery, the land forces of the Taiwan military are currently equipped with 250 M114 155mm towed howitzers, 75 M110A2 203mm self-propelled howitzers, 196 M109A2 155mm self-propelled howitzers and 28 M109A5 155mm self-propelled howitzers.
At present, the biggest problem with the artillery equipment of the Taiwan army is that the overall equipment performance is backward, most of which are products of the fifties and sixties of the last century, and some are even products of the World War II period. For example, the M114 155mm towed howitzer was equipped with the US army in 1942, and the Taiwan army began to introduce it in 1951, which can be said to be a "grandpa" class gun, the maximum range of the gun is only about 15 kilometers, which is simply not comparable to modern 155mm guns. Even the more advanced M109A5 self-propelled howitzer has been in service for more than 40 years.
The Taiwanese army's desire to buy Czech self-propelled guns is to change this dilemma. In terms of performance of the "Morana" wheeled self-propelled gun, this gun is still remarkable, but in the face of superior forces, it can only be said that it is better than nothing. The Taiwan military itself also knows that it cannot master air supremacy, and reconnaissance and combat integrated drones, manned fighters, helicopters and ground artillery can continue to encircle and suppress these artillery pieces, and eventually become cannon fodder. In addition, it is unknown whether the Czech Republic will dare to "risk the world's opposition" to provide these artillery pieces to the Taiwan army.
In the past few days, the Eastern Theater has been conducting war-ready patrols and joint exercises around Taiwan Island, demonstrating with actual deeds that the Chinese People's Liberation Army has the determination, will, and ability to resolutely thwart any form of interference by external forces and separatist attempts for "Taiwan independence," and will take all necessary measures to firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Source: The Paper