Armor Over Mobility
Using these features, the Type 19 WSPH can easily adopt the shoot & scoot tactics required for modern artillery duels, but this comes with the trade-off between mobility and armor.
Since it is just a truck with a 155mm gun mounted on top, it is barely covered with any armor, making it vulnerable to enemy fire. This is in contrast with the heavily armored Type 99 Self-Propelled Howitzer, but the Type 19 WSPH was developed on the idea of prioritizing mobility over vehicle armor.
Just a truck, but also a mobile battery (photo: JGSDF)
Like other truck-based howitzers, it strives to increase survivalbility by evading enemy counter-fire rather than decreasing agility with thick armor. Based on this concept, the Type 19 WSPH only weighs 25 tons, rendering it possible for airlift and traversing nearly every bridge in Japan.
Moreover, the light howitzer can perform a maximum speed of 100km/h or 62mph on paved roads, which is more than enough to accompany other JGSDF assets such as the latest Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle.
Hence, the WSPH is not only expected to replace the existing FH70s, but also perform its duty as a mobile battery during island defense by swift deployment via airlift.
At the moment, the JGSDF plans to obtain 227 of these new howitzers, but as with the case of most Japanese military equipment, whether it can procure enough WSPHs at its disposal in time for the seemingly imminent contingency remains to be seen.
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