M1299 on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The M1299 is an American prototype
The M1299 is armed with a new 155 mm L/58 calibre long, a 9.1 m gun tube, XM907 gun, designed by ERCA: Army Contracts To Help New Cannon ‘Fire Faster’
''Breaking Defense''. 16 April 2021.
155 mm
155 mm (6.1 in) is a common, NATO-standard, artillery caliber. It is defined in AOP-29 part 1 with reference to STANAG 4425. It is commonly used in field guns, howitzers, and gun-howitzers.
Land warfare
The caliber originated in France after ...
turreted self-propelled howitzer
A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...
developed by BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...
in 2019 under the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) program. It is based on the M109A7 self-propelled howitzer, and was primarily designed for the purpose of improving the M109's effective range.
History
The Extended Range Cannon Artillery program was designed to produce a self-propelled howitzer system with an improved range and rate of fire compared to the existing M109A7 howitzer, in response to developments of Russian and Chinese artillery systems, which had become capable of outranging American systems. During tests conducted in 2018, theM777 howitzer
The M777 howitzer is a British towed 155 mm artillery piece in the howitzer class. It is used by the ground forces of Australia, Canada, Colombia, India, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and the United States. It was first used in combat during the US w ...
was able to double its range through the use of higher energy propellant and rocket-assisted projectile
A rocket-assisted projectile (RAP) is a cannon, howitzer, Mortar (weapon), mortar, or recoilless rifle round incorporating a rocket motor for independent propulsion. This gives the projectile greater speed and range than a non-assisted Ballistics, ...
s; hitting targets over away. Using the same principles, the Extended Range Cannon Artillery was developed. BAE Systems was given a $45 million contract in 2019 to incorporate the ERCA's cannon into a M109 chassis, which was unveiled at that year's Association for the United States Army.
Increased range and accuracy is accomplished by having a longer barrel, at 58 calibers long, and by using the XM1113 rocket-assisted artillery shell. In 2020, the ERCA successfully hit a target away, which is over twice the range typically achieved by an M777 using the same round.
According to the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, the howitzer was to be completed in 2021 and undergo operational assessment in 2023. It is expected to be fitted with an autoloader
An autoloader or auto-loader is a mechanical aid or replacement for the personnel that load ordnance into crew-served weapons without being an integrated part of the gun itself. The term is generally only applied to larger weapons, such as naval ...
in 2025, which could increase its rate of fire from 3 to 10 rounds per minute.
Design
Gun system
The M1299 is armed with a new 155 mm L/58 calibre long, a 9.1 m gun tube, XM907 gun, designed by Benét Laboratories Benét Laboratories, part of the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center, is the US Army's primary design, development, engineering and production and field support facility for large caliber armament systems, including can ...
that will fire the XM1113 rocket-assisted round. This will give a range of over 70 km – much greater than the of the M109A7 Paladin. When fitted, an autoloader will allow rates of fire of up to 10 rounds per minute. Originally the autoloader was planned to carry 31 rounds and be in service by 2024. As designed, it was too large for the vehicle, so it was reduced to a 23-round capacity for better weight, center of gravity, and "onboard kills".''Breaking Defense''. 16 April 2021.
See also
* XM2001 Crusader, a U.S. Army self-propelled howitzer canceled in 2002 * XM1203 Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon, a U.S. Army self-propelled howitzer of theFuture Combat Systems Manned Ground Vehicles
The Manned Ground Vehicles (MGV) was a family of lighter and more transportable ground vehicles developed by BAE Systems and General Dynamics as part of the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. The MGV program was intended as a succe ...
program canceled in 2009
*Panzerhaubitze 2000
The Panzerhaubitze 2000 ("tank howitzer 2000"), () abbreviated PzH 2000, is a German 155 mm self-propelled howitzer developed by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall in the 1980s and 1990s for the German Army. It is capable of a very h ...
, the self-propelled howitzer of the German army
*K-9 Thunder
The K9 Thunder is a South Korean 155 mm self-propelled howitzer designed and developed by the Agency for Defense Development and civil contractors including Dongmyeong Heavy Industries, Kia Heavy Industry, Poongsan Corporation, and Samsung Aer ...
, the self-propelled howitzer of the Korean Armed Forces
*Next Generation Combat Vehicle
The Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) is a United States Army program intended to procure a variety of armored vehicles to add new capabilities to Army units and replace existing platforms that are nearing the end of their service life. The pro ...
, an on-going U.S. Army combat vehicle acquisition program
* AHS Krab, self-propelled howitzer designed in Poland
References
External links
{{Commons 155 mm artillery Self-propelled howitzers of the United States Tracked self-propelled howitzers BAE Systems land vehicles Post–Cold War armored fighting vehicles of the United States