The M-71 is a 155 mm 39 calibre towed howitzer manufactured by Soltam

Soltam

Soltam Systems is an Israeli Defense company located near Yokneam. The company has been developing and manufacturing advanced artillery systems, mortars, ammunition and peripheral equipment since 1952. Soltam Systems serves armed and special forces in more than 60 countries...

, Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

.

Design

The weapon was based on the earlier Soltam M-68

Soltam M-68

The M-68 was a 155 mm 33 calibre towed gun howitzer manufactured by Soltam Systems of Israel. The barrel of the M-68 is 5.18 m long and comes with a simple muzzle brake at the mouth of the barrel, the recoil mechanism of the two pneumatic cylinder jacks is positioned on the back-end of the...

 and uses the same recoil system, breech and carriage but had a longer gun barrel

Gun barrel

A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....

 (39 calibre versus 33 calibre of M-68). It is fitted with a compressed air-driven rammer to permit rapid and ease of loading at all angles of elevation as well as having a rechargeable battery mounted on the right trail for auxiliary power. It can fire a 43.7 kilograms (96.3 lb) high-explosive shell up to a maximum range of 23.5 kilometres (14.6 mi) at a muzzle velocity of 820 m/s.

Deployment

In addition to Israel, this weapon is in service with Chile, Singapore, Thailand, South Africa, Slovenia and Myanmar. A version of this weapon was developed to mount on a modified Centurion chassis (M-72), but this vehicle never reached production.

Users

: Israel Defense Forces

Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...

: Islamic Republic of Iran Army

Islamic Republic of Iran Army

The Islamic Republic of Iran Army is the ground force of the Military of Islamic Republic of Iran. In Iran, it is also called Artesh, which is Persian for "army." As of 2007, the regular Iranian Army was estimated to have 465,000 personnel plus around 350,000 reservists for a total of 815,000...

 (the design plans of Soltam M-65 and Soltam M-71 were allegedly stolen by Iranian spies and brought back to Iran),: Chilean Navy

Chilean Navy

-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...

: Singapore Army

Singapore Army

The Singapore Army is the branch of the Singapore Armed Forces responsible for land operations. It is the largest of the three armed services and heavily reliant on a conscript army, comprising the majority of Singapore's Operationally Ready National Servicemen .-Capabilities:The mission of the...

 operated the locally upgraded M-71S version (in reserves storage): South African Army

South African Army

The South African Army is the army of South Africa, first formed after the Union of South Africa was created in 1910.The South African military evolved within the tradition of frontier warfare fought by commando forces, reinforced by the Afrikaners' historical distrust of large standing armies...

: Royal Thai Army: Slovenian Ground Force Local designation TN-90: Myanmar Army: Philippine Army

Philippine Army

The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...

See also

• 155 K 83
  155 K 83
  The Tampella 155 K 83 is a Finnish towed 155 mm field gun, manufactured in the 1980s by Tampella.-History:The development process for the 155 K 83 began in 1960 when Tampella presented their concept of a new 122 mm gun for the Finnish Army. It was a sound concept, but quite a heavy gun. It was only...
  
  
• FH-88
  FH-88
  The FH-88 or Field Howitzer 88 was the first locally-designed howitzer developed for the Singapore Army. It is a 155 mm/39-calibre towed howitzer gun.-Development:...
  
  
• Soltam M-68
  Soltam M-68
  The M-68 was a 155 mm 33 calibre towed gun howitzer manufactured by Soltam Systems of Israel. The barrel of the M-68 is 5.18 m long and comes with a simple muzzle brake at the mouth of the barrel, the recoil mechanism of the two pneumatic cylinder jacks is positioned on the back-end of the...
  
  
• L-39 - An M4 Sherman
  M4 Sherman
  The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
  
   chassis based self-propelled artillery piece mounting the Soltam M-71 155 mm L/39 howitzer in large enclosed superstructure, design of vehicle did not progress beyond the drawing board.
• ATMOS 2000
  ATMOS 2000
  ATMOS 2000 is a 155 mm/52 calibre self-propelled artillery system manufactured by Soltam Systems....
  
  

External links

• Chilean Army Profile
• Singapore Artillery Pieces
• Weapons of the Arab-Israeli Wars