KNDS Deutschland Developing New Version of PzH 2000 Self-Propelled Howitzer

The German company KNDS Deutschland is working on a new version of the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer, called the PzH 2000 A5. This model is expected to become the standard upgrade for the German Army’s current fleet of howitzers.

According to EDR Magazine, the PzH 2000 has undergone several upgrades since its introduction in the late 1990s.

The baseline version was the PzH 2000 A1, delivered to the Bundeswehr. It had a better navigation system and improved accuracy, mainly because its pneumatic barrel-laying system was optimized compared with the prototype.

The A2 added a new cooling system for the propellant charges and was supplied, for example, to the Netherlands.

The A3 stayed on the drawing board and was never built. The current production standard is the A4. New howitzers for Germany and Ukraine are being made in the A4 configuration, which focuses primarily on updated electronics.

Key changes include a new Centurion fire-control computer. However, the upgraded architecture remains partly analog. A Vulcano 155 mm ammunition-programming system has also been integrated. Initial deliveries to the Bundeswehr are expected at the end of 2025, and production will continue until early 2027.

Alongside A4 production, KNDS Deutschland is already working on the next version – the PzH 2000 A5 – which will become the standard modernization for the German Army’s existing self-propelled howitzers.

The main upgrade is the creation of a fully digital architecture with a semi-open interface, allowing easy integration of new systems. The Centurion computer will remain, but it will be integrated into a fully digital network. Improvements are planned for the autoloader and aiming systems, the introduction of two slip rings in the turret, and the addition of new sensors. The new configuration also plans to separate the generator and the cooling system into two distinct, more efficient modules.

Additional options include a new 360° driver-surveillance system, high-quality optics, a portable fuze-programming station, and a transition to a three-person crew.

The possibility of installing a remotely controlled weapon module is also under consideration; however, the turret’s architecture does not allow for retraction, so a final decision has not yet been made.

The A5 MLU upgrade is currently under review by Germany, the Netherlands, and Lithuania, which are coordinating a joint request to KNDS. Four other NATO countries – Italy, Croatia, Hungary, and Greece – have also expressed interest.

According to the media, the Bundeswehr plans to purchase “hundreds” of new PzH 2000 A5 units, suggesting the production line will remain active at least into the 2030s.