U.S. army stuck with outdated artillery despite modernization efforts

The importance of artillery on the modern battlefield cannot be overstated—it accounts for 60-70% of casualties in both personnel and equipment. Its destructive potential surpasses that of aviation, mines, or combined losses from direct combat.

Therefore, the Pentagon has been trying for years to undertake significant modernization and introduce generational artillery changes into the American military. Although these attempts have been ongoing for over a quarter-century, they have so far yielded no results.

The M109 howitzers were introduced into service in the 1960s and were modernized over subsequent decades. The most significant change, which greatly increased the capabilities of this weapon, was the development of the M109A6 Paladin variant in the 1980s. The Paladin, produced in a quantity of 950 units, was introduced into service in the last decade of the 20th century and has become the cornerstone of American tube artillery.

In parallel with the modernization of existing artillery, Americans began work on futuristic combat systems—tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and self-propelled artillery. The dissolution of the USSR led to the abandonment of these plans, but the awareness that American artillery was beginning to age meant that the Crusader program was not discarded.

It was a very ambitious program to build the artillery of the future, originally planning to use liquid propellant instead of a powder charge. Ultimately, the XM2001 Crusader took a somewhat more traditional form—a 155mm caliber gun mounted on a tracked chassis, sharing the drivetrain with the Abrams tank.

Thanks to the use of an autoloader, the crew consisted of only three people, and the new system's firing range reached 25 miles (40 km), comparable with the leading artillery systems of those years. Ultimately, the Crusader program was canceled, and the army was advised to purchase the German PzH2000 or further modernize the Paladin. The latter was ultimately modernized to the currently used M109A7 variant.

Based on this variant, the next developmental program—ERCA—aimed to create new-generation artillery. The beginnings were very promising: the towed, ultra-light M777 howitzer, using new propellant and new rounds, doubled its firing range from 19 miles (30 km) to 37 miles (60 km). A similar effect was planned for self-propelled artillery.

In the ERCA program, a series of successful tests were conducted—the experimental XM1299 howitzer, with a barrel length increased from 39 to 58 calibers (from about 20 feet to nearly 30 feet), fired over a distance of 43 miles (70 km), a range that—with progress—was intended to increase even to 62 miles (100 km).

This was possible thanks to the use of new propellant, better combustion control, and the development of projectiles with additional propulsion. Combined with a longer barrel, allowing for a higher muzzle velocity, this provided a significant increase in firing range, although it also caused new problems, such as faster barrel wear.

Successful trials were also conducted with innovative projectiles like the XM1155-SC with rocket propulsion and a Raytheon-developed ramjet-powered projectile, which hit a target over 62 miles (100 km) away during a test. Despite promising results, the ERCA program was canceled due to budget cuts.

However, the Pentagon has not given up on modernizing its artillery. For this purpose, the SPH-M (Self-Propelled Howitzer Modernization) program was announced. Five leading manufacturers were invited: American Rheinmetall Vehicles, BAE Bofors, Hanwha Defense USA, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Elbit Systems USA.

Participants are to present their own solutions—not only complete artillery systems but also components that Americans could potentially assemble into their own future artillery system, bypassing the stage of prolonged trials and the "teething troubles" of developing new weapons.

This is about the chassis, especially the turret with armaments, an extension of the British AS90 system, which has been withdrawn from service in the UK this year.