I remember the tales and buzz within artillery in the 90’s of something like the 155mm copperhead round being developed for the 105mm.
Heck, the M108 105mm Self Propelled was even touted as something that could be dusted off and refurbished/modernized as a 105mm sp need was identified back then.
But with Clinton’s cuts we knew none of the above would happen.
Was helping fix an elevator at Picatinney Arsenal and took a wander through the museum.
There, behind a bunch of other stuff, was a see through development model of the 105mm copperhead round, no labels to denote the model designation.
Can’t tell you how angry I felt at the time.
Saw the Crusader too, it was tooling around post, doing rapid emplacement and fire drills.
We got cheated.
After 2014, there should have been an emergency development program in artillery.
Much more factory shell capacity. An additional barrel production facility. Crusader. None of it happened.
When all these assh0le generals go to Staff College, one of the topics they cover is that in peer wars, 60 to 80 percent of ALL casualties is from land based artillery. (Ukraine is 80 percent)
If the military leadership wasn’t so corrupt and compromised, artillery would have been the priority. Ten F35s would pay for the new factories. And one carrier would pay for more Crusaders than they could ever use.
It’s not just the USA. Poland is wasting $$$ on F35s and Abrams, when the lesson of the Counteroffensive is they need, artillery guns , shells, landmines, drones and a big reserve army.