The Rascal Light Self-Propelled Howitzer is a lightweight
mobile artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement.
Until the early 20t ...
system developed by
Soltam Ltd, Israel.
The Rascal represents an entirely new design of SP gun. The objective of designing the Rascal was to make a gun light enough to not be restricted to the capacity of
rural bridges, and so it could be air-lifted.
The vehicle is not based on any existing
tank. The hull has a raised drivers compartment at the left front, the engine being behind the driver, and a central compartment for the commander and two gunners.
The 155mm (6.1 in)
howitzer
A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...
is installed on a platform at the rear of the vehicle and is power-operated. The gun may be either 39 or 52
caliber
In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge (firearms) , bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the f ...
s in length.
The Rascal Light carries 40 rounds of ammunition on board. These shells are stored in racks alongside the gun and cartridges in an Armour-protected compartment in the hull.
Tracked self-propelled howitzers
Self-propelled howitzers of Israel
155 mm artillery
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