Entropedian
GIAT Industries 155 TR-F1
Real-world write-up:
“God is on the side with the best artillery” is Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous declaration on the importance of superior artillery support. From its invention circa the 14th Century CE, artillery has proved to be the decisive weapon of war. Though the glamour of air combat has outshone the prestige of artillery since the Second World War, artillery remained one of the most important weapon types for both NATO and the Warsaw Pact in the Cold War. Long range, indirect fire support would be critical for both alliances as they sought to hold off innumerable waves of armored vehicles or crack well-planned defenses backed by the latest technology. The TR-F1 represented the heavyweight punch of the French artillery corps during the twilight years of the Cold War.
"The Giat Industries (now Nexter) TF-F1 is a 155mm French heavy artillery piece accepted for service in 1983. It features hydraulic recoil dampeners and is capable of firing 3 rounds in 15 seconds, or 6 shots per minute sustained. The cannon can fire all NATO-standard 155mm ammunition. It saw action in the Gulf War, in service with both France and Saudi Arabia. Although outdated by modern mobility and barrel length standards, during the late Cold War, it would have been the long-range backbone of any French resistance to the invading Warsaw Pact."
"In-universe" addendum:
Despite the age and relative inferiority of this howitzer, the 155 TR-F1 saw additional, albeit limited, service in the 2016 Second Eastern European War, where it proved the adage that "if it hurts, it works." French rapid reaction forces, among the first NATO units to respond to the crisis, brought along several batteries of this system, where it put in good service, despite being limited in range and mobility by modern standards. Superior NATO counter-battery radar enabled effective fires on JNA artillery pieces, particularly older M-86 field guns. However, French artillery was hopelessly outranged by the rare, but highly effective M-203 Stonefish, while also proving to have a hard time dueling with mobile self-propelled artillery such as the venerable M-122 Bies. Numerous TR-F1s and crew were lost in the conflict, and, similar to the relatively poor showing of the older generation armored scout vehicles (which itself ultimately led to the development of the next-gen EBRC Jaguar), the lack of decisive technical superiority over a well-trained, high-morale foe resulted in proportionally greater losses for the French compared to the other Western Allies. Though the French public was disturbed by the amount of French blood spilled, and treasure lost, defenders note that the French were among the first ground units deployed in-theater and put up an effective effort stabilizing the fronts - artillery units included.
Despite the mixed outing, continued instability in the region, particularly that from the USR-sponsored Black Cross Alliance, has kept the TR-F1 in service, albeit primarily in form of defending French SFOR compounds. A higher-caliber variant of the TR-F1 was proposed by Nexter, but it is believed that the French Army intends to pivot to a fully mechanized, self-propelled artillery corps.
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This is a fairly old build (3(!) years design-wise, 1.5 years “in the brick”) that I figured should actually get some photos of. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to good natural lighting conditions, and my only camera at the moment is my phone, which isn’t the greatest. Hopefully the picture quality is acceptable. I have a pair of other builds waiting to be photographed. No camo because many critical components are unavailable in reddish brown or dark green. Corvin, please.
GIAT Industries 155 TR-F1
Real-world write-up:
“God is on the side with the best artillery” is Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous declaration on the importance of superior artillery support. From its invention circa the 14th Century CE, artillery has proved to be the decisive weapon of war. Though the glamour of air combat has outshone the prestige of artillery since the Second World War, artillery remained one of the most important weapon types for both NATO and the Warsaw Pact in the Cold War. Long range, indirect fire support would be critical for both alliances as they sought to hold off innumerable waves of armored vehicles or crack well-planned defenses backed by the latest technology. The TR-F1 represented the heavyweight punch of the French artillery corps during the twilight years of the Cold War.
"The Giat Industries (now Nexter) TF-F1 is a 155mm French heavy artillery piece accepted for service in 1983. It features hydraulic recoil dampeners and is capable of firing 3 rounds in 15 seconds, or 6 shots per minute sustained. The cannon can fire all NATO-standard 155mm ammunition. It saw action in the Gulf War, in service with both France and Saudi Arabia. Although outdated by modern mobility and barrel length standards, during the late Cold War, it would have been the long-range backbone of any French resistance to the invading Warsaw Pact."
"In-universe" addendum:
Despite the age and relative inferiority of this howitzer, the 155 TR-F1 saw additional, albeit limited, service in the 2016 Second Eastern European War, where it proved the adage that "if it hurts, it works." French rapid reaction forces, among the first NATO units to respond to the crisis, brought along several batteries of this system, where it put in good service, despite being limited in range and mobility by modern standards. Superior NATO counter-battery radar enabled effective fires on JNA artillery pieces, particularly older M-86 field guns. However, French artillery was hopelessly outranged by the rare, but highly effective M-203 Stonefish, while also proving to have a hard time dueling with mobile self-propelled artillery such as the venerable M-122 Bies. Numerous TR-F1s and crew were lost in the conflict, and, similar to the relatively poor showing of the older generation armored scout vehicles (which itself ultimately led to the development of the next-gen EBRC Jaguar), the lack of decisive technical superiority over a well-trained, high-morale foe resulted in proportionally greater losses for the French compared to the other Western Allies. Though the French public was disturbed by the amount of French blood spilled, and treasure lost, defenders note that the French were among the first ground units deployed in-theater and put up an effective effort stabilizing the fronts - artillery units included.
Despite the mixed outing, continued instability in the region, particularly that from the USR-sponsored Black Cross Alliance, has kept the TR-F1 in service, albeit primarily in form of defending French SFOR compounds. A higher-caliber variant of the TR-F1 was proposed by Nexter, but it is believed that the French Army intends to pivot to a fully mechanized, self-propelled artillery corps.
~~~~
This is a fairly old build (3(!) years design-wise, 1.5 years “in the brick”) that I figured should actually get some photos of. Unfortunately, I don’t have access to good natural lighting conditions, and my only camera at the moment is my phone, which isn’t the greatest. Hopefully the picture quality is acceptable. I have a pair of other builds waiting to be photographed. No camo because many critical components are unavailable in reddish brown or dark green. Corvin, please.