Artillery Systems - EMD

Abstract

This program element encompasses engineering and manufacturing development for artillery weapons systems. Project 509 supports the Lightweight 155mm Howitzer (LW155), also known as the M777A2, which is a Joint Service program between the US Marine Corps (USMC) and US Army which provides direct, reinforcing, general support fires to maneuver forces and direct support artillery. The LW155 was first introduced into the USMC in April 2005 and the Marines have fielded the howitzer to all active units. The Army fielded the howitzer to its Stryker Brigade Combat teams (SBCT), Fires Brigades and National Guard. Fielding of the Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCT) commenced in FY2014 and will continue through FY2018. The LW155 fires unassisted projectiles to a range of 30 kilometers (km) and assisted projectiles to 40km. It is a successful joint service program between the USMC and US Army working together to develop, produce, field, and sustain the howitzer. The howitzer will be going through obsolescent replacement of electronic components in its digital fire control system, since it has been in the field for more than ten years. Current development efforts are focused on extending the range of the LW155 to reduce the threat of being out ranged by potential adversaries and meeting the range key performance parameter objective distance (greater than 40km) as stated in the Joint US Army, USMC Operational Requirements Document (JORD) for Advanced Towed Cannon System, but deferred during Engineering Manufacturing and Development due to technology maturity, cost and schedule. The USMC and US Army are leveraging technology being developed as part of the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) program by the US Army. The ERCA program is a suite of technologies, cannon, ammunition and fire control, to increase the range of cannon artillery to exceed peer competitors range (greater than 70km). An operational assessment of the M777 Extended Range (M777ER) howitzer will be conducted at the end of FY2020 to assess the performance of best available projectiles and objective hardware of M777ER howitzer. Project HB6 is a new start effort for FY2020 which supports the mobile howitzer program. The Mobile 155mm Howitzer is a Self-Propelled, 155mm Wheeled Howitzer that provides lethal, proactive counter-fire essential for the survivability of the maneuver formations and other close support fires as required. The Mobile Howitzer improves the Field Artillery Battalion's ability to maintain pace with its supporting maneuver formations and survive against responsive, counter-fire from near-peer threats with rapid displacement and emplacement times. The mobile howitzer will improve tactical mobility and system survivability compared to existing towed howitzer systems. Development efforts, prototyping and evaluations will focus on attributes such as improved emplacement and displacement times, driving speed, and crew protection capabilities, all without sacrificing lethality versus existing towed howitzer systems. Program activities in FY2020 will be focused on assessing current prototype mobile howitzers to increase maneuverability when engaging targets during emergency fire missions and increase Soldier survivability during counter-fire movements. Systems will be assessed in an operational environment.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2020
• Source ID: 0604854A_5_2040_PB_2020
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2020 increase funds the operational assessment of the M777 Extended Range (M777ER) howitzer for the Army's modernization Long Range Precision Fires priority in support of the National Defense Strategy. Project HB6 is a new start in FY 2020 that focuses on evaluating mobile howitzers.
• Service Agency Name: Army

Entities

Organizations

• United States Army

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Ammunition
• Artillery
• Close Support
• Contracts
• Control Systems
• Electronic Components
• Engineering
• Fire Control Systems
• Howitzers
• Manufacturing
• Marine Corps
• Munitions
• National Guard
• Product Development
• Production
• Test And Evaluation
• Warfare

Readers

• Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
• Marksmanship and Weaponry.
• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

• Microelectronics
• Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems