Editing Palmaria (section)

==History==
Class: Self-Propelled Howitzer</br>
Developed: 1980-1981</br>
Service: 1982+</br>
Vehicles Built: cca 200</br>
Operators: Libya, Nigeria, Argentina

Developed by OTO Melara in Italy for the export market, this self-propelled howitzer utilizes an autoloader to allow for an increased rate of fire. The name came from the island of Palmaria, located in the La Spezia gulf (La Spezia was the seat of the OTO Melara company).

The Palmaria SPH consisted of a modified OF-40 hull with a new OTOBREDA turret, armed with a long OTO Melara 155mm Obice da 155/39 howitzer (barrel length was 39 calibers, although some sources state 41 calibers). The turret was fully traversable (the drive was hydraulic with its own independent propulsion), the gun could depress to -4 degrees and elevate to +70 degrees. Its maximum range (using standard high-explosive ammunition) was 24.7 kilometers, but it could be augmented by using rocket-assisted projectiles. Other shells fired included illumination rounds and smoke rounds. The gun was automatically loaded and the average rate of fire was 4 rounds per minute during intensive action but was, according to some sources, capable of firing three round bursts. Average sustainable rate of fire was 3 rounds per minute.

The prototype was first shown to the representatives of the United Arab Emirates, but they weren’t quite interested. Two customers appeared in 1982 – Libya and Nigeria. Libya was a pariah country back then and it’s generally unclear how did Colonel Kaddafi’s forces get their hands on those vehicles. In 1982, around 200 were ordered (some source claim 210), but the details of that deal remain unclear to this day. 160 were reported operational by 2007 and they participated in the Libyan Civil War. By now, most are probably gone. Nigeria ordered 25 vehicles in 1982 and they are also still in service. The final customer of sorts was Argentina in 1986 – they ordered turrets only and had them installed on modified TAM tank chassis to produce a rather unique version of the Palmaria. And that was the end of Palmaria sales. The vehicle was offered for years until the early 2000s, but no other customer was interested.