''Raad''-2 (

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

:رعد-۲, means

Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

-2) is an Iranian

self-propelled howitzer Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled m ...

Development

In early September 1997, it was reported that

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

had successfully tested a locally built rapid fire mobile field gun known as ''Raad''-2 (Thunder-2). It uses a turret that has a similar layout to the M109A1 155mm/39-cal

. The Iranian

Defense Industries Organization The Defense Industries Organization (DIO) is a Conglomerate (company), conglomerate of companies run by the Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran whose function is to provide the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Armed Forces with the necessar ...

claimed that the 155 mm HM44 howitzer manufactured by the Hadid facility of the Iranian Defense Industries Organization had a high firing rate and accuracy. The gun's range was reported as , and it also includes features such as a laser range-finder and a semi-automatic loading system. The gun looks exactly like 155mm/39-cal M185 gun from M109A1 and is fitted with a double baffle

muzzle brake A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a device connected to, or a feature integral to the construction of, the muzzle or barrel of a firearm or cannon that is intended to redirect a portion of propellant gases to counter recoil and unwanted ...

, fume extractor, screw breech mechanism, hydro-pneumatic recuperator and a hydraulic recoil brake. DIO says that the barrel life is around 5,000 rounds. The vehicle uses a chassis based on the

T-72 The T-72 is a family of Soviet/Russian main battle tanks that entered production in 1969. The T-72 was a development of the T-64, which was troubled by high costs and its reliance on immature developmental technology. About 25,000 T-72 tanks h ...

, distinctive due to the cover of the cooling fan on the chassis. The hull is apparently based on the BMP-1. The Raad-2 is crewed by 5 persons, with the driver stationed at the left with the power pack at the right.

Variants

*Raad-2 - basic SPG version with a Russian V12-type V-84MS diesel engine **Raad-2M - Raad-2 upgraded with a Ukrainian-made 5TDF engine instead of a V-8 Diesel engine.

References

{{Commons category, Raad-2 Armoured fighting vehicles of Iran Self-propelled artillery of Iran Post–Cold War weapons of Iran Military vehicles introduced in the 1990s