Howitzers are long-range guns that are one of the main weapons of artillery. Self-propelled howitzers are military vehicles that serve in the artillery of the armed forces and of course feature a howitzer gun. These weapons support land operations with their firepower, so it’s obvious that one of their most important elements is their attack capabilities.

For decades, we have seen self-propelled howitzers play a critical role in conflicts, and even the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war is no exception to that perception. Now, that the biggest battles take place in the open region of Donbas, artillery units of both armies fight each other to death. Considering the importance of artillery, and more specifically howitzers, countries around the world like Germany and Russia wanted the most powerful military weapons of this class. Other nations wanted to compete in this field and tried to design their self-propelled howitzers. The results weren’t always ideal, but very lethal weapons of this type have been produced and used. Let’s have a look at the ten self-propelled howitzers with the highest firepower on the planet!

10/10 2S19 Msta-S

The 2S19 self-propelled howitzer started serving the Soviet Union army in 1989 and now serves the armed forces of Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Reports say that Russia owns almost 550 of these weapons. The weapon is being charged semi-automatically and takes the standard 152 mm shells of the Soviet and Russian military. Their rate of fire is 7 to 8 shells per minute, they carry 50 shells within the vehicle and have a maximum range of 15.5 to 18 miles.

9/10 AS90 Braveheart

The British-made AS90 howitzer serves the United Kingdom army since 1993 in the quantity of 179 units. The weapon features an automatic reloading system, while the howitzer can launch every 155 mm standard ammunition of NATO.

Their rate of fire is 6 shells per minute, they have 48 shells stored, and they can reach targets at a maximum distance of 15.3 to 20 miles away.

8/10 Krab

The turret of the Polish Krab is identical to the turret of the AS90 howitzer. The first two self-propelled weapons were delivered to the armed forces of the country in 2021. So, considering this fact, Krab is a newly developed weapon. The Polish weapon is also one of the howitzers on the list that features a gun capable of firing all standard 155 mm ammunition of NATO. It fires 6 shells per minute, while its maximum capacity and range are 60 shells and 18.6 to 24.8 miles accordingly.

7/10 M109A7 Paladin

The first American on the list, M109A7 is an improved version of the well-known M109 self-propelled howitzer. Paladin was approved for production in 2013, while the first units were delivered some years later. The vehicles feature a new automatic reloading system. The rate of fire of the US self-propelled howitzer is 4 shells per minute, while it can carry 39 shells with it. The maximum range is 18.6 to 24.8 miles.

6/10 PLZ-05

And here we have a Chinese-made weapon, a self-propelled howitzer called PLZ-05. Although its official name is PLZ-05, many reports refer to the vehicle with the designation Type 05. Some sources state that the automatic reloading system of PLZ-05 is a copy of the reloading systems used in the Russian 2S19 Msta-S. The available shells are 155 mm. The Chinese weapon can fire 8 to 10 shells per minute, while it can carry 30 shells for a mission. The maximum range is 25.8 miles.

5/10 Type 99

Type 99 is a Japanese self-propelled howitzer that has been produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Japan Steel Works. Type 99 has a fire rate of 6 shells per minute, but its capacity is still unknown. Its range is between 18.6 to 23.6 miles.

The Japanese armed forces have a small quantity of these weapons. It is worth noting that Type 99 was never exported to a foreign country.

4/10 K9 Thunder

K9 Thunder is one of the most fearsome South-Korean weapons and the only howitzer in the list that was developed and produced in the country. Its development started in 1989, while the weapon started serving in 1999, replacing the older K55 howitzer. Thunder serves in large numbers till today.

The South-Korean masterpiece comes with a rate of fire of 6 shells per minute, can store 48 shells, and features a range of 18.6 to 24.8 miles.

3/10 PLZ-52

The new self-propelled howitzer of China, PLZ-52, is an improved version of the PLZ-05 of the Chinese army. Although it’s one of the most powerful in the world, it was mainly designed for export and not for the armed forces of the Asian country. PLZ-52 features a new turret that is capable of providing impressive firepower capabilities.

PLZ-52 has a rate of fire of 8 to 10 shells per minute, has a capacity of 30 to 40 shells, and can destroy targets at a maximum distance up to 33 miles away.

2/10 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV

2S35 Koalitsiya-SV is the latest self-propelled howitzer of Russian, and it was designed as a replacement for 2S19 Msta-S. The first bunch of weapons were delivered to the Russian army in 2015 and consisted of 12 units. Even if it looks like 2S19 Msta-S, it’s a completely different weapon.

The latest Russian self-propelled howitzer can launch 8 shells per minute, and carry an enormous amount of 60 to 70 shells with it. The maximum distance that the ammunition can reach ranges from 18.6 to 43.5 miles.

1/10 PzH 2000

You’re maybe expecting a US-made weapon at the top of the list, but the German PzH 2000 wins any competition for the most powerful self-propelled howitzer on the planet. Although the initial plan of the German armed forces was to acquire 1,254 howitzers, in 1996 this number was reduced to 185 units. The vehicle features a fully automatic reloading system with an ammunition management system. It is worth noting, that just like Leopard main battle tank, the PzH 2000 was exported with great success in numerous countries, mainly in Europe.

Besides the howitzer 155 mm gun, the vehicle comes with a secondary armament of a 7.62 mm machine gun on the roof. Besides that, the front armor of PzH 2000 protects the weapon from 14.5 mm rounds. The armor that covers the rest vehicle can survive hits from small shells or splinters from artillery hits. Its maximum rate of fire is 9 shells per minute, while its capacity is 60 shells. The maximum range of the howitzer gun is limited to 18.6 to 24.8 miles.

Last but not least, we should note that the maximum range with base bleed rounds is almost 24.8 miles. Although, there are sources that report a range of 34.8 miles using the South African VLAP rocket-assisted projectile.