This Day in History: March 28, 1982
On 28 March 1982, the Chairman of Armscor announced that South Africa had developed a 155mm artillery piece that outranged it's counterparts of a similar calibre by at least 50%.
The development of the G5 Howitzer was the direct result of the arms embargo imposed on South Africa due to its Apartheid policies and due to the performance of the South African military hardware in action, especially artillery and air support. The hardware shortcomings hampered the armies effectiveness, specifically in terms of the range of artillery utilised. This shortcoming was most evident during the Battle of Cuito Carnivale, when South African artillery forces lacked the range to accurately hit their targets.
The South African Arms Corporation, (Armscor) therefore set out to develop a 155 mm artillery piece that could engage enemy forces at considerable distance and was highly mobile. The reason for this choice of calibre was that smaller calibres lacked the penetrating power and range, and that the weight of the projectiles of larger calibres reduced their mobility. The initial design was strongly influenced by the work of a Canadian engineer Gerald Bull. However the South Africans refined the design to such an extent, that the finished product bore very little resemblance to Bull's initial concept.