French army TR-F1 shown in firing position.
Source: US Army -
© Public domain
The TR is a modern towed 155mm howitzer of French origin. The TR was designed in the late 1970's to replace the older 155mm Modèle 50.
The TR uses a split trail carriage with large spades at the ends. An APU is fitted in front of the wheels and allows for autonomous travel. The 155mm L/40 ordnance is swung 180 degrees towards the rear during travelling to reduce the length. A hydraulic rammer assists in loading the shells. A 52 caliber upgrade is available.
The TR fires 155mm NATO shells from a 40-caliber barrel. The effective range is 24 km with standard ammunition, 18.5 km with M107 rounds and 32.9 km with ERFB base bleed ammunition. The direct fire range is 2 km. The burst rate of fire is 3 rounds in 18 seconds. Normal rate of fire is 6 rounds per minute for 2 minutes.
The TR is normally towed by a 6x6 truck. In French service the Renault TRM 10000 is used. The maximum towing speed is 80 km/h on roads. Emplacement time is about 2 minutes. The APU allows the TR to travel on its own at a maximum speed of 9 km/h. The TR is too heavy to be moved by hand.
The TR was used from 1989 onward with French forces and exported to Cyprus and Saudi Arabia. In French service the TR is to be replaced by the Caesar wheeled self-propelled howitzer.
The TR-F1 has a comparable performance as the UK/German FH-70 howitzer and looks rather similar.
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