Self-propelled artillery: autoloading and 52 are the trend.(Complete Guide)

The passing of the Crusader left many uncertainties in its wake. Many others, away from the US Army, were waiting to see how that project would emerge and how it would impinge on their own future developments and requirements. In the meantime, self-propelled artillery equipment from past design generations will have to be retained, with no immediate prospect of any far-reaching changes in the immediate offing, other than a general trend towards greater mobility and less weight.

The American self-propelled artillery community was indeed plunged into a state of uncertainty and semi-uproar by the demise of the US Army's planned XM2001/XM2002 Crusader 155 mm self-propelled artillery system during 2001. The US Army banked heavily on the Crusader as being the way ahead and had planned much to follow its introduction, but the Crusader was axed. It simply got too heavy and complicated for the type of operations for which the US armed forces expect to be called upon in the years ahead. The circumstances and deployment factors inherent in the recent campaign in Iraq merely emphasised the fact that the anticipated battle scenarios of the Cold War period seem increasingly' unlikely to reoccur. The Crusader therefore had to go--and it did.

An indication of some possible future trends can be seen in one US programme currently underway, although it will be many years before US Army gunners get their hands on any resultant practical hardware. With the Crusader gone other technological avenues are being explored, the overall emphasis being on less bulk and weight compared with what has appeared before. It is a virtual certainty that any future self-propelled artillery system will be based on the 155 mm calibre, most other existing calibres, with the possible exception of the former Warsaw Pact Bloc 152 mm for legacy reasons, becoming outmoded.

As one possible indication of what the future might bring, United Defense LP is currently constructing what is termed a Concept Technology Demonstrator (CTD) to determine the exact form the artillery component of the US Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) will take. Although it is too early to make empirical statements, it appears that the CTD will be more compact and self-contained than the Crusader, and it will have to be light and small enough to be air transportable in a C-130 transport aircraft.

The design intention of the CTD will have a crew of just two, driver and gunner/commander, under armoured cover at the front of the vehicle. This manpower saving will be offset by a high degree of on-platform automation, including remotely controlled ammunition handling and loading. The CTD will initially carry an externally located 155 mm M777 39-calibre ordnance, recoil and mounting, all taken from the towed BAE Systems, RO Defence equipment now in low rate production in the USA. It has been forecast that future CTD enhancements will include some features of the 155 mm 56-calibre ordnance and mounting originally intended for the Crusader. The ammunition load is initially planned as 30 rounds and 102 modular charges, with re-supply back-up provided by trucks equipped with automated handling equipment. Extended range will be catered for by firing standard enhanced range Nato projectiles, including the still developmental XM987 Excalibur providing a range of over 40,000 metres from a 39-calibre barrel. Some form of in-flight trajectory correction system will probably become involved.

Mechanically, the CTD will feature a newly designed chassis and hull, with power provided by a diesel-electric drive system. Stabilisation during firing, which is intended to include rapid fire at varying angle of barrel elevation to provide several simultaneous impacts on a target area, will be assisted by two recoil spades powered from the rear. The rate of burst fire is set initially at up to six rounds per minute, the in-service intention being ten rounds per minute.

It has to be stressed that the CTD is a technical concept venture. Many innovations and modifications will inevitably be introduced as testing continues, so the end product may emerge as very different from the brief outline provided here. It seems unlikely that US gunners will get their hands on fieldable CTD-based hardware before the end of this decade. at the earliest, with a high degree of probability that it will be some years after…