Artillery's new guns increase range, accuracy

DND/Canadian Forces ^ | 2005-12-02 | Master Corporal Dennis Power

[Clive]

FORT SILL, Oklahoma -- The new M777 155mm howitzer coming into service with the Artillery in November will extend the range and lethality of fire missions supporting ground operations.

Captain Jeffrey Pederson (left), takes part in war games at the U.S. Army Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

The Triple 7, as gunners call it, is a lightweight 155mm towed howitzer that is air-portable and air-droppable. The design is the result of a joint British-American project, with the guns being manufactured in the United States.

Firing conventional munitions, the gun has a range of 30 km. With precision munitions, such as the Excalibur round, the range can reach 40 km, with the first rounds being effective. The increased accuracy of the Excalibur round is due to the built-in global positioning system guidance system.

"With the equipment we've been using until now, it would sometimes take up to eight minutes after receiving a fire-mission request to have effective rounds hitting the target. With a digitized Triple 7, effective fire can be achieved in under two minutes," said Major Paul Payne, Chief Instructor in gunnery at the Field Artillery School in Gagetown.

Conventional munitions will still require ranging and bracketing to get rounds on target, giving an aggressor with mobility time to move away from the impact area as adjustments are made. With the Excalibur round, commanders and forward observation officers can deliver lethal blows with the first and subsequent rounds.

Staff Sergeant Joseph Andrews, an instructor at the U.S. Army Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, has assisted with training the first Canadians who will use the Triple 7. The 19-year veteran, who has had many tours in combat zones, does not hesitate to describe the Canadian gunners as " a well motivated and well disciplined group of soldiers ... very professional."

Staff Sgt Andrews has a depth of experience as an artilleryman and sums up the Triple 7 this way: "This weapon is high speed, and can always stay in the fight no matter what happens. It's awesome."

After extensive trials and shoots, the first new guns built for the Canadian Army were delivered on November 26, in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. The gun represents a major leap in technology and its first use in an area of conflict will be with Canadian gun crews.

A joint Canadian-American New Equipment Training Team (NETT), established at Fort Sill, was CFB/ASU Shilo for the arrival of the M777 to conduct further training and live shoots.

Following the shoot, the Canadian component of the NETT will be established in the Field Artillery School at the Combat Training Centre, Canadian Forces Base Gagetown.

Article and photos by Master Corporal Dennis Power

[Clive]

Gunners from the 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, practice drills on the new M777 lightweight 155mm howitzer

[Clive]

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[Anti-Bubba182]

It looks cool. Artillery can work rain or shine and doesn't
have return to base to refuel like aircraft. I am sure the troops would welcome artillery support.

[rellimpank]

--this will seem like a dumb question, but I'm not at all familiar with heavy artillery

--the projectile, spun by the rifling, starts out at the angle of the barrel of the artillery piece. At what angle does it contact the target at say 30 km-?

[Little Pig]

Reach out and touch someone...

[Redcitizen]

"a...howitzer that is air-portable and air-droppable"

Bombs away!!! Just make sure the enemy is right underneath!

[Redcitizen]

Depends on the velocity of the shell, the weight of the shell and and a few other factors. It requires some math to figure it. Check out this site to play with rifle ballistics. http://www.eskimo.com/~jbm/software/software.html

[ArtyFO]

I guess Rummy finally realized it was a lot easier transporting a towed M777 than an M109 series mounted on a heavy track and you could get a lot more of them in a C-17.

[Right Wing Assault]

I'm not an artillery guy, but spinning projectiles tend to line up parallel to the trajectory, such as spiralling football.

[spna]

I don't know about Excalibur, but at 30km its going to be very high angle.

[jmq]

WHERE YOU WANT IT SARGE?

[Right Wing Assault]

Oh, I guess you talking about the angle it makes with the ground. Yes, there are a number of variables there.

[thackney]

lightweight howitzer ping

[Atlas Sneezed]

I'm not an artillery guy, but spinning projectiles tend to line up parallel to the trajectory, such as spiralling football.

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Yes. A heavy shell is less affected by air resistance than is a football, but it spends a long time in the air with the air going by darn fast, so the principle still applies.

Note however, that like any spinning object, that when you turn it (the nosing over as the tip turns downward) there will be a resulting motion in a perpendicular direction (the shell turns slightly right or left, depending on the direction of the spin.) As I understand, this is very "precession" is significant over long distances, and must be corrected for.

[TomasUSMC]

Of course, if the kinder gentler compassionate war fighting doesn't allow artillery because innocent civilians may be hit.....


Lots of reports of artillery units being turned into infantry in Iraq. Well that is American artillery units, enemy artillery is used as much as possible.

[rellimpank]

--thanks--it has always seemed to me that the shell must stay point on, but the rotational energy (gyroscopic effect) must be counteracted by airflow--

[hoosierham]

Couldn't the shape of the shell exterior be such the airflow would tend to maintain the spin (at the expense of range)?

I think more shells on target is more important than just more shells.

[Right Wing Assault]

Footballs thrown by right handers do curve slightly to the right.

[xkaydet65]

This weapon will be wonderful for the USMC MEUs. I wonder if they can pack it under an Osprey? I would think so.

[MikefromOhio]

ARTY ping