FV433 Abbot SPG FV433 Field Artillery , Self - Propelled " Abbot " is the self - propelled artillery variant of the British Army FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicle s , using much of the chassis of the FV430 but with a fully rotating turret at the rear housing the 105 mm gun and given the vehicle designation of FV433 . Its correct designation was " Gun Equipment 105mm L109 ( Abbot ) " ; L109 was little used , probably to avoid confusion with 155 mm M109 that entered UK service at about the same time . The name " Abbot " continued the World War 2 style of naming self - propelled artillery after ecclesiastical titles . The FV433 used a different configuration of power pack to other vehicles in the FV430 series . Development . Ammunition . A completely new ammunition family , comprising shells , fuzes and cartridges , was designed for Abbot , designated 105 mm Field ( 105 mm Fd ) , was designed for Abbot ' s L13 ordnance . It uses electrical instead of percussion primers , and compared to US 105 mm M1 type ammunition has longer shells . The widely used US M1 type round was called " 105 mm How " in UK service . The 105 mm Fd came in two marks , both separate loading ( shell and cartridge loaded separately ) . The 105 mm Fd Mk 1 was used initially , it had a UK - produced 105 mm How shell , mostly US pattern fuzes and reduced charge 105 mm Fd cartridges with their electrical primers ( 105 mm M1 uses percussion primers ) . The Mark 2 adopted a new projectile design including an improved lethality HE shell ( heavier with more HE ) and full charge cartridges . Its shell types include HE , Smoke , Coloured Marker ( Red and Orange ) , Illuminating , and HESH for direct fire against enemy armoured vehicles . Direct Action , Controlled Variable Time ( CVT ) and Mechanical Time ( MT ) fuzes were available for HE and Coloured Marker shells . Initially there were three cartridges . Sub - zones 1 and 2 were only used to provide short range in high angle fire , and were soon replaced by a plastic spoiler slipped over the shell ogive . Normal cartridge gave charges 1 – 5 , each bag being a different colour in accordance with established UK practice , Mk 1 normal cartridge only went to charge 4 . Both marks had charge Super , a single charge cartridge , although the charge was reduced in Mk 1 . Charges 5 and Super used extended " bags " that projected beyond the metal cartridge case . The 105 mm Fd uses double ( often internationally called triple ) base propellants designated N in UK service instead of the single based FNH propellants favoured by the US . The 105 mm Fd Mk 2 is still used with L118 Light Gun . Gun . Maximum range with 105 mm Fd Mk 1 ammunition was 15 km , the Mk 2 gave 17 . 4 km . Maximum rate of fire was 6 – 8 rounds per minute . The gun was able to elevate to 70 degrees and depress to - 5 degrees , sufficient to engage enemy AFVs if necessary . Traverse and shell ramming were powered by electrical servo mechanisms , elevation and cartridge ramming were by hand . Due to the number of charges and its compact turret the Abbot did not have calibrating sights . Instead the sight mount had both Tangent Elevation ( TE ) and Angle of Sight Scales and a separate Gun Rule to convert range into TE , corrected for the muzzle velocity variation from standard . The dial sight had all scales internal , illuminated and viewed through a single eyepiece . Communications . The Abbot was fitted with both line and radio ( Larkspur B48 , then Clansman UK / PRC 352 ) communications to its battery command post , which used the Apparatus Loud Speaking No . 23 , this enabled the gun No . 1 to acknowledge his fire orders merely by clicking his pressel switch . Initially it also used induction loop communications for the turret and external crew . Shortly after the Field Artillery Computer Equipment ( FACE ) entered service in the early 1970s the Gun Rule was removed and Artillery Weapon Data Transmission System ( AWDATS ) installed . AWDATS displayed firing data transmitted from FACE in the battery command post via either line or radio . Mobility . The Abbot was able to swim across water , having a flotation screen fixed around the hull which was raised to provide buoyancy . The action of the tracks was sufficient to drive it forward at about 3 knots ( see also DD Tank ) . Each Abbot was supported by a fully amphibious Stalwart Mk 2 High Mobility Load Carrier that carried additional ammunition . Service history . The Abbot was replaced by the AS - 90 self propelled gun in the mid 1990s . It is still in service with the Indian Army though they are looking for a replacement . Variants . A simplified Value Engineered Abbot without flotation screen , NBC defence equipment , power traverse , elevation or loading , a simplified dial sight and communications fit was exported to India for use in their armoured divisions . A small number were purchased by UK for use at the British Army Training Unit Suffield ( BATUS ) in Alberta , Canada .