Japan Ministry of Defense has confirmed plans to replace its ageing FH-70 towed howitzers and has revealed fresh details about new wheeled self-propelled howitzer.

According to the MoD’s statement, the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) is developing new wheeled self-propelled howitzers for replacing FH-70 towed howitzers for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF).

Details of the first prototype of 155 mm self-propelled artillery system, based on 8×8 chassis were released at the official website of the Japan Ministry of Defense.

The new artillery system is a hybrid of the wheeled truck chassis, with a 155mm 52-calibre long-range gun that is equipped with the on-board computation, inertial navigation and aiming systems.

The vehicle has a maximum length of 11.4m, a height of 3.4m and width of 2.5m. A typical operating crew is five personnel though three can manage the gun and vehicle functions in an emergency.