Patria has full readiness to restart the production of field guns and the company also has a solution for improving the critical mobility of artillery.
One of the lessons learnt from the war in Ukraine is that traditional artillery still plays a key role in modern warfare. Compared to other European countries, Finland has strong artillery.
“Nevertheless, Patria has maintained strong know-how in gun production and development,” says Vesa Toivonen, Weapon Systems Testing Manager at Patria, who has been closely involved in field gun development work during his long career.
The 155-millimetre 155K98 field cannon currently used by the Finnish Defence Forces is based on decades of development at Patria and its predecessors Tampella and Vammas.
“It all started in the early 1950s when the Defence Forces asked Tampella to develop a general-purpose gun suitable for a range of applications. This work resulted in the 122K60 field gun,” says Toivonen.
Toivonen says that the next big step in product development was taken when the barrel diameter was enlarged from 122 mm, which was inadequate, to its current size of 155 mm. “The next significant development phase was the lengthening of the barrel to increase the range of the shell.”
Several gun models have been developed over the years. The current Patria 155K98 field cannon was deployed by the Finnish Defence Forces in 1998 and produced until 2005. Until these days Patria has been developed and provided all components.
It has a barrel length of about 8 metres and a range of 40 km. The weapon is towed close to the firing position by an off-road truck. It is then driven to the site under its power. The gun has an engine that enables independent mobility.
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