Artillery

G5 155 mm howitzer

Also known as
  • 155mm G5
  • G5
  • G5 L45
  • G5 Mk III
  • GV5 Luiperd
  • LIW G5
  • G5-52
  • G5-2000

The G5 155 mm howitzer is a South African towed gun-howitzer developed from the GC-45 long-range artillery lineage for mobile indirect fire. Lyttelton Engineering Works designed the system and Denel Land Systems became the normalized manufacturer, with sources documenting South African Border War service, Iraqi G5 use in the Iran-Iraq War and Gulf War, and UAE G5 deployment to Yemen.

G5 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm towed gun-howitzer, Artillery
Image source: Wikimedia Commons - SANDF Armed Forces Day 2017 G5 155mm howitzer

Role in Conflicts

1980 Iran-Iraq War
Fire Support
Side
Iraq

Contemporary reporting described Iraq's G5s as part of its long-range artillery arm during the Iran-Iraq War, while broader claims for Iranian G5 operation are less directly supported in the reviewed sources.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
South Africa
Type
155 mm towed gun-howitzer
Service note
Entered South African service in the 1980s; documented from late Cold War artillery wars through Yemen coalition use
Designer
Lyttelton Engineering Works
Designed
1977-1983 development period
Unit cost
Forecast International reported a 2015 basic G5 price estimate of about US$576,700
Produced
Early 1980s production; Forecast International listed the production line as dormant by 2015
Number built
Forecast International estimated 520 G5-series artillery pieces produced by Denel through 2014, plus one Metalnor-assembled license example
Developed from
GC-45 howitzer

Specifications

Caliber
155 mm
Configuration
Towed split-trail gun-howitzer with auxiliary power unit
Barrel
45 caliber / about 6.98 m for the production G5; 52 caliber / 8.06 m for G5-52
Weight
13.75 tonnes for the 45-caliber G5; 17.5 tonnes for G5-52
Crew
Eight in Forecast International technical data; South African practice could operate with smaller detachments depending on powered systems
Range
About 30 km with standard/ERFB ammunition, about 39-40 km with base bleed, and up to 50 km with VLAP from the 45-caliber G5
Rate of fire
3 rounds/minute maximum and 2 rounds/minute sustained for the 45-caliber G5
Elevation
-3 degrees to +75 degrees
Traverse
65 degrees above 15 degrees elevation; up to 82 degrees at lower elevation in several sources
Mobility
Auxiliary power gives short-distance self-propelled movement around 16 km/h and assists rapid emplacement
Design Notes

The G5 combined a long 155 mm barrel, split-trail carriage, auxiliary power, and extended-range ammunition to give South African artillery a mobile long-range gun-howitzer. Ditsong, DefenceWeb, and Forecast International trace the design path through the GC-45 lineage, South African modifications, and Denel production.

Mobility concept

The auxiliary power unit moves the gun short distances and powers deployment tasks such as opening trails, lowering the firing platform, and operating powered handling systems.

Range class

Public sources place the 45-caliber G5 around 30 km with standard or ERFB ammunition, about 39-40 km with base-bleed projectiles, and up to 50 km with VLAP ammunition.

Family boundary

The G6 self-propelled howitzer and T5 Condor truck-mounted system are G5-related artillery developments, but this record keeps conflict-use claims tied to the towed G5/G5-series evidence.

Variants

G5 designations mix production marks, caliber upgrades, and truck-mounted developments. The towed 45-caliber G5 Mk III is the baseline record here; 52-caliber and Condor rows show later Denel development paths rather than separate conflict-use claims.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
G5 Mk I / Mk II / Mk III / Mk IIIATowed 45-caliber production marks

Ditsong lists these as successive G5 marks, while Forecast International says Denel used Mark designations for product-improved G5 models.

Sources: Ditsong G5 howitzer history, Forecast International G5 155mm Howitzer

G5-52 / G5-200052-caliber towed development

Forecast International describes the G5-52, formerly G5-2000, as a basic G5 carriage fitted with a 52-caliber barrel and Kentron WMS 205 weapon-management system.

Sources: Forecast International G5 155mm Howitzer

T5 CondorTruck-mounted G5 development

Forecast International describes the T5 Condor as a 45-caliber G5 mounted on a Tatra 8x8 truck chassis, with a T5-2000 Condor branch using the 52-caliber G5-52 ordnance.

Sources: Forecast International G5 155mm Howitzer

Timeline

G5 155 mm howitzer Key Events

  1. G5 development begins

    Ditsong says Armscor began G5 development in 1977, with Lyttelton Engineering Works designing the weapon and Denel Land Systems later identified as manufacturer.

    Sources: Ditsong G5 howitzer history

  2. Operational combat use in Angola

    Ditsong places the operational G5's combat testing and introduction in 1986, and DefenceWeb says the first battery deployed during Operation Alpha Centauri.

    Sources: Ditsong G5 howitzer history, DefenceWeb G5 L45 fact file

  3. Contemporary Iran-Iraq War reporting

    Los Angeles Times reporting during the war described Iraq's G5 use and the gun's role in long-range artillery fire.

    Sources: LA Times G5 Iran-Iraq War reporting

  4. Iraqi G5 photographed after Desert Storm

    A Defense imagery record preserved on Wikimedia Commons identifies a South African-made G5 abandoned by Iraqi forces near the Arramaylan refinery during Operation Desert Storm.

    Sources: Wikimedia Commons - Iraqi G5 howitzer in 1991

  5. Production line listed as dormant

    Forecast International's archived 2015 report listed the G5 production line as dormant while Denel continued marketing the system.

    Sources: Forecast International G5 155mm Howitzer

  6. UAE G5 deployment reported in Yemen

    Janes reported that the UAE had already deployed Denel G5 155 mm/45-caliber towed gun-howitzers to Yemen before confirming its lighter Chinese AH4 acquisition.

    Sources: Janes UAE AH4 and G5 Yemen deployment

Media

G5 155 mm howitzer Videos

G5 155 mm howitzer Images

G5 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm towed gun-howitzer, Artillery - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons - Iraqi G5 howitzer in 1991
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Sources

Ditsong G5 howitzer historyPublisher: Ditsong Museums of South Africa | Note: Supports G5 development background, Lyttelton Engineering Works design, Denel Land Systems manufacturer attribution, specifications, variants, and direct 1966 South African Border War use by South African Defence Force units in Angola and Namibia. | Accessed: 2026-07-06DefenceWeb G5 L45 fact filePublisher: DefenceWeb | Note: Supports G5 development background, South African inventory context, Denel manufacturer attribution, specifications, and direct 1966 South African Border War use during Operation Alpha Centauri and later operations. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Forecast International G5 155mm HowitzerPublisher: Forecast International | Note: Supports G5 contractor, production estimate, price estimate, technical data, dormant production-line status, and G5-52/T5 Condor variant descriptions. | Accessed: 2026-07-06GlobalSecurity G5 155mm towed gun-howitzerPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports G5 technical background, APU deployment context, range figures, GC-45 lineage, and 1966 South African Border War direct use by reporting G5 service against Cuban and FAPLA forces in Angola. | Accessed: 2026-07-06LA Times G5 Iran-Iraq War reportingPublisher: Los Angeles Times | Note: Supports 1980 Iran-Iraq War direct conflict-use context by reporting Iraq's G5 use and its role in artillery regiments during the war. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Washington Institute Iraqi Artillery ThreatPublisher: The Washington Institute for Near East Policy | Note: Supports 1990 Gulf War direct-use context by listing South African G-5 155 mm howitzers in Iraq's towed artillery inventory as the Gulf War threat was assessed. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Wikimedia Commons - Iraqi G5 howitzer in 1991Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and 1990 Gulf War direct-use context: the file description identifies a South African-made G5 155 mm howitzer abandoned by Iraqi forces during Operation Desert Storm. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Janes UAE AH4 and G5 Yemen deploymentPublisher: Janes | Note: Supports 2014 Yemen Civil War direct conflict-use context by reporting that the UAE had deployed Denel G5 155 mm/45-caliber towed gun-howitzers to Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Wikimedia Commons - SANDF Armed Forces Day 2017 G5 155mm howitzerPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports primary image provenance for a South African Army G5 155 mm howitzer photographed during SANDF Armed Forces Day 2017 and licensed CC BY-SA 2.0. | Accessed: 2026-07-06Denel company profilePublisher: Denel SOC Ltd | Note: Supports Denel corporate context and identifies Denel Land Systems with infantry systems, artillery gun systems, combat turrets, and small arms. | Accessed: 2026-07-06