M1978 Artillery

The M1978 Artillery is a North Korean self-propelled artillery piece featured in Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction.

Overview
The M1978 Artillery is first encountered during the first contract; Ante Up, where a battery of 2 guns is being commanded by the Two of Clubs. The M1978 is used by the Korean People's Army for bombardment of enemy targets at long range and is typically set up in well-guarded positions to the rear of the front lines. An open-turret design, the M1978 is a rotating 170mm cannon set on a tank chassis; it offers no protection for the gun crew at all.

The gun can be aimed forward by the player as if it were an anti-tank weapon.

As it is North Korean hardware, destroying these weapons nets the player $10,000 to their account.

Real life
The M1978 is based on a modified Koksan M-1978, a self-propelled artillery piece designed and manufactured in North Korea. "Koksan" is a name given by American military intelligence, as it was first discovered in Koksan, North Korea. The M1978 "Koksan" is built on a Chinese Type 59 tank chassis, has a crew of 8, and saw use by Iran in the Iran-Iraq War.

Trivia

 * Although it is a self-propelled gun, the M1978 cannot be driven and in fact is never seen moving.
 * If an M1978 is decrewed and there are no hostiles around, friendly soldiers may recrew it and resume firing.