Two BAE Systems M777 towed howitzers. (Image courtesy of BAE Systems.)
Introduced in 2005, the M777 is a 155 mm 39-caliber towed gun that weighs less than 10,000 lbs, which makes it light enough for transport helicopters, such as the Boeing CH-47 Chinook using external slings. On the road, the M777 can be towed by 2.5-ton vehicles, such as the Humvee.
BAE Systems credits “the innovative use of titanium and aluminium alloys” to the M777’s relative lack of weight, and the company does have considerable experience in metallurgical development.
While 42 percent lighter than its predecessor, the M198, the M777 can fire the same 155 mm shells to a similar range of more than 14 miles. The M777 has a sustained fire-rate of two rounds per minute, but it can switch into a rapid-fire phase of five rounds per minute for up to two minutes.
In addition to the lightweight gun barrel, the M777 features a digital fire control system that lets its users employ navigational data and ballistic computation to guide artillery shells with increased accuracy.
The M777 is in service with the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps as well as with militaries from Canada and Australia. It was first used in combat in Afghanistan in 2006. The U.S. Army is currently using the M777 as part of its operations against ISIS in Mosul, Iraq.
Defense vendors in the United States, United Kingdom and India will be involved in the program, with deliveries to India expected to begin in June of this year.
For more insight into BAE Systems’ research and development work, see how underwater GPS nodes can alter naval warfare.