M777 howitzer

The M777 howitzer is a towed artillery piece that is to replace M198 howitzer in US Marine Corps and US Army service by 2010. The M777 was developed by RO Defence, now BAE Systems Land Systems.

The M777 is lighter and smaller size, weighing at 9,200 lbs, the M777 is 42% lighter than the M198. Most of the weight reduction is due to the new design of the body, which is constructed from investment-cast titanium. The light weight and smaller size allows the M777 to be transported by helicopter or truck much faster, allowing it to be move in and out of the battlefeild much quicker than the M198. The smaller size reduce the amount of crews, from 9 to 7, required to operate the new howitzer.

Specifications

• Crew: 7
• Length:
  • 30.4 feet (9275 mm) in tow
  • 33.5 feet (10210 mm) firing mode
• Width:
  • 9.1 feet (2770 mm) in tow
  • 12.2 feet (3720 mm) firing mode
• Height: 7.4 feet (2260 mm) in tow
• Weight: 9200 pounds (4173 kilograms)
• Bore diameter: 155 mm
• Barrel length: 39 caliber
• Barrel life: 2650 firings
• Maximum effective range:
  • conventional ammunition: 24.7 km, unassisted
  • rocket-assisted projectile: 30 km, assisted
• Rate of Fire:
  • 5 rounds per minute, intense
  • 2 rounds per minute, sustained

Source

• http://www.machinedesign.com/ASP/strArticleID/56460/strSite/MDSite/viewSelectedArticle.asp
• http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_M777,,00.html