the u.s army last year fired two 155 millimeter diameter howitzer shells
out to a distance of 40 miles the test shots at yuma proving ground in arizona
on march 6 2020 signal the beginning of a major overhaul of the army's artillery
the ground combat branch is spending billions of dollars extending the firing range of its
howitzers and rocket launchers while also developing new long-range rockets all in an
effort to match nxe the artillery capabilities of rivals such as russia the army's current
howitzers the toad m777 and the self-propelled m109 fire just 14 miles with normal shells and
19 miles with rocket assisted shells russian howitzers already can shoot as far as 43 miles
the army during the 2000s lagged behind its major rivals in artillery development
that changed as china began exerting more influence in the asia-pacific region
the change accelerated when russia invaded ukraine in 2014 the army deployed back to
europe two battalions of rocket launchers that it previously had withdrawn from the continent
the howitzer that took the 40-mile shots in arizona was one of the army's prototype
extended range cannon artillery systems the erca combined the latest m109 a7 chassis with a new 30
feet long gun the army expects to field the first 18 of the farther firing guns in 2023
the yuma test involved two different shell types an excalibur gps guided shell and an
m11 13 rocket assisted projectile the m1113 which is slated to enter the regular force
in the next couple of years extends the firing range of older m 777s and m 109s to 24 miles
a new ramjit propelled shell that a norwegian firm is developing further could boost the erca's range
out to 60 or even 80 miles the erca is the first in a series of new long-range weapons for the army
the service also is developing new rockets for its wheeled high mobility artillery rocket system
and tracked multiple launch rocket system the current standard guided multiple launch rocket
system rocket flies as far as 43 miles a new extended range version of the gmlrs flies more
than twice as far the current large diameter army tactical missile system which also is compatible
with mars and mlrs has a maximum range of 186 miles the new lighter precision strike
missile due to enter service in 2023 boasts a 310 mile max range the army also is studying a
concept for a gigantic new truck towed cannon that could fire shells as far as 1000 miles
while larger in scale than any existing artillery piece the strategic long-range
cannon doesn't actually require much in the way of new technology colonel john rafferty who in 2018
led the army's long-range buyers modernization effort told breaking defense the ground combat
branch also is working with the navy to develop a common hypersonic glide vehicle
which would launch atop a rocket then travel 1400 miles or farther at a top speed exceeding mach 5.
the erca is a tactical weapon that's most suitable for directly supporting nearby forces
farther firing to mars and mlrs launchers give the army some ability to hit enemy forces well
behind the front line the conceptual thousand mile cannon and the in development hypersonic missile
by contrast could allow the army to strike targets such as staging bases
logistical networks and air bases targets that before were the sole responsibility of
air force and navy planes and missiles targeting could pose a problem for these faraway targets
according to breaking defense the army is working on artificial intelligence and wireless networks
so its howitzers and rocket launchers can receive target coordinates from the services owned drones
as well as from drones spy planes and satellites belonging to the other armed services the u.s army
last year fired two 155 millimeter diameter howitzer shells out to a distance of 40 miles
the test shots at yuma proving ground in arizona on march 6 2020 signal the beginning of a major
overhaul of the army's artillery the ground combat branch is spending billions of dollars extending
the firing range of its howitzers and rocket launchers while also developing new long-range
rockets all in an effort to match then exceed the artillery capabilities of rivals such as russia
the army's current howitzers the toad m777 and the self-propelled m109 fire just 14 miles with normal
shells and 19 miles with rocket-assisted shells russian howitzers already can shoot as far as 43
miles the army during the 2000s lagged behind its major rivals in artillery development
that changed as china began exerting more influence in the asia-pacific region
the change accelerated when russia invaded ukraine in 2014 the army deployed back to
europe two battalions of rocket launchers that it previously had withdrawn from the continent the
howitzer that took the 40-mile shots in arizona was one of the army's prototype extended range
cannon artillery systems the erca combined the latest m109 a7 chassis with a new 30 feet long gun
the army expects to field the first 18 of the farther firing guns in 2023 the yuma test
involved two different shell types an excalibur gps guided shell and an m11 13 rocket assisted
projectile the m1113 which is slated to enter the regular force in the next couple of years
extends the firing range of older m 777s and m 109s to 24 miles a new ramjet propelled shell
that a norwegian firm is developing further could boost the erca's range out to 60 or even 80 miles
the erca is the first in a series of new long-range weapons for the army the service
also is developing new rockets for its wheeled high mobility artillery rocket system and tracked
multiple launch rocket system the current standard guided multiple launch rocket system rocket flies
as far as 43 miles a new extended range version of the gmlrs flies more than twice as far
the current large diameter army tactical missile system
which also is compatible with hamar's and mlrs has a maximum range of 186 miles
the new lighter precision strike missile due to enter service in 2023 boasts a 310 mile max range
the army also is studying a concept for a gigantic new truck towed cannon that could fire shells as
far as 1 000 miles while larger in scale than any existing artillery piece the strategic long-range
cannon doesn't actually require much in the way of new technology colonel john rafferty
who in 2018 led the army's long-range fires modernization effort told breaking defense
you