Panzer Howitzer 2000

The German army's 55-ton self-propelled howitzer (Panzerhaubitze 2000) is the world's most advanced cannon artillery system. Its awesome striking power comes from its quick-firing 155mm gun, capable of rapid burst barrages ranging from three rounds in 10 seconds to 20 rounds in three minutes. The only constraint on maintaining this rate of fire is overheating, but the gun barrel's innovative chromium lining greatly minimizes this problem.

Priming, loading and clearing artillery rounds is completely automated. With conventional shells, the maximum range of the gun is about 18 miles, but with enhanced, "smart" rounds the effective range increases to an astonishing 34 miles. The howitzer has excellent cross-country performance -- it posts a top off-road speed of nearly 30 mph -- and a high level of armor protection for the crew.