The XM1203 Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon (NLOS-C) was a

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 ...

self-propelled howitzer Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mo ...

. It was the lead vehicle for the U.S. Army's

Future Combat Systems Future Combat Systems (FCS) was the United States Army's principal modernization program from 2003 to early 2009. Formally launched in 2003, FCS was envisioned to create new brigades equipped with new manned and unmanned vehicles linked by an unpr ...

Manned Ground Vehicles program. The NLOS-C was a replacement for the

M109 howitzer The M109 is an American 155 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s to replace the M44. It has been upgraded a number of times, most recently to the M109A7. The M109 family is the most common Western indirect-fi ...

, but cancelled in December 2009. The NLOS-C used technology from the

XM2001 Crusader The XM2001 Crusader was to be the United States Army's next-generation self-propelled howitzer (SPH), designed to improve the survivability, lethality, mobility, and effectiveness of the artillery as well as the overall force. It was initially s ...

, a U.S. Army self-propelled howitzer canceled in 2002. The NLOS-C provided networked, extended-range targeting, and precision attack of point and area targets in support of other combat units with a suite of

munition Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weapo ...

s that included special purpose capabilities. The NLOS-C provided sustained fire for close support and destructive fire for tactical standoff engagement. The system's primary purpose was to provide responsive fire in support of the FCS Combined Arms

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

s (CABs), and their subordinate units in concert with line-of-sight, beyond-line-of-sight, non-line-of-sight (NLOS), external and Joint capabilities. NLOS-CAugust2003

The system, as proposed, looked to add capabilities that the current M109 systems do not offer. One of the proposed systems advantages was the ability to switch shell types quickly on a one-by-one basis allowing an illumination round to be followed by a point-detonation round, to be followed by an area effect round. This would have given the system the ability to fire different rounds as required by different fire calls or to change types of shells. For instance, destroying a building then engaging anyone fleeing the area with the next round. The rate of fire in the proposed system would have enabled more rounds sent downrange in a given amount of time, allowing more firepower per system than available with the current M109 system. Another capability offered by the NLOS Cannon was

multiple rounds simultaneous impact Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

(MRSI) where the cannon fires a sequence of several rounds at different trajectories such that the rounds all hit the same target at the same time, resulting in little or no reaction time for the enemy to adjust its position. This was accomplished by including the autoloader from the Crusader project which achieved the goals of a much improved fire rate with a reduction in required crew. The proposed system was envisioned as part of a fast mobile force networked via improved communications and data capabilities to allow rapid response with enhanced accuracy with the view to reducing

friendly fire In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy/hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while eng ...

incidents along with lessened

collateral damage Collateral damage is any death, injury, or other damage inflicted that is an incidental result of an activity. Originally coined by military operations, it is now also used in non-military contexts. Since the development of precision guided ...

, while providing superior protective artillery fire to units requiring gunfire support. Navigation of the vehicle and targeting information were provided via

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...

and networked information systems. Improvements in the refueling arrangements and automation of ammunition reloading reduced the amount of time spent on resupply and during which the gun would be unavailable for combat support. This also allowed the system to use a crew of two instead of five. The NLOS-C was among the heaviest of the eight MGV variants. In June 2003, the NLOS-C was projected to weigh 25.3 tons at essential combat capability and 29.2 tons at full combat capability.Pernin et al, Ch. 5, p. 95-118. The NLOS-C had especially high commonality with the NLOS-Mortar vehicle.

History

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. ...

developed a concept technology demonstrator testbed. BAE completed testing the demonstrator in early 2006.Pernin et al, Appen. E, p. 269-304. In May 2008, BAE revealed the first Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon prototype. Prototype 1 made its first public appearance on the

National Mall The National Mall is a Landscape architecture, landscaped park near the Downtown, Washington, D.C., downtown area of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It contains and borders a number of museums of the Smithsonian Institut ...

, in Washington in June 2008. Eight prototypes were delivered to the U.S. Army's

Yuma Proving Ground Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is a United States Army series of environmentally specific test centers with its Yuma Test Center being one of the largest military installations in the world. It is subordinate to the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation ...

in Arizona by 2009. BAE produced five prototypes. In April 2009 Defense Secretary

Robert Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by president George W. Bush an ...

recommended that the MGV program be terminated. Congress had directed that the Army continue working on the NLOS-C as a separate initiative. In December, Pentagon acquisition chief

Ashton Carter Ashton Baldwin Carter (September 24, 1954 – October 24, 2022) was an American government official and academic who served as the 25th United States Secretary of Defense from February 2015 to January 2017. He later served as director of the Be ...

directed the Army to cancel the NLOS-C. Carter directed the Army to begin work on the Paladin Improvement Program ( M109A7). The electric rammer from the NLOS-C and some of the electric drives were integrated into the M109A7.

References

Sources

*{{cite report, url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a582405.pdf, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325115822/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a582405.pdf, url-status=live, archive-date=March 25, 2020, title=Lessons from the Army's Future Combat Systems Program, last1=Pernin, first1=Christopher, last2=Axelband, first2=Elliot, date=2012, publisher=RAND Corporation, last3=Drezner, first3=Jeffrey, last4=Dille, first4=Brian, last5=Gordon IV, first5=John, last6=Held, first6=Bruce, last7=McMahon, first7=Scott, last8=Perry, first8=Walter, last9=Rizzi, first9=Christopher, last11=Wilson, first10=Akhil, first11=Peter, last12=Sollinger, last10=Shah, via=Defense Technical Information Center, first12=Sollinger 155 mm artillery Self-propelled howitzers of the United States BAE Systems land vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s