Do towed artillery systems have a future?
While many countries are now being re-equipped with new tracked and wheeled self-propelled (SP) artillery systems, there is still a potential market for 155mm and 105mm towed artillery systems, although perhaps in declining numbers and with fewer contractors available to provide these weapons.
The 155mm/39 cal FH-70 towed artillery system fitted with an auxiliary power unit (APU) was developed by a consortium to meet the requirements of Germany, Italy and the UK, but today only Italy retains these of the original three users and some of these have been recently upgraded to extend their operational lives.
The former Vickers Shipbuilding & Engineering Limited (VSEL) (today BAE Systems) M777 155mm/39 cal Light Towed Howitzer (LTH) was originally developed as a private venture and subsequently sold to the US Army and Marines, Australia, Canada and India with the US now sending some of these to the Ukraine.
The M777 has seen extensive service in Afghanistan and the Middle East, as well as more recently in the Ukraine, where its light weight of just over four tonnes has enabled it to be rapidly transported by a helicopter, such as the Boeing CH-47 Chinook, to deployed in areas that are not accessible by other means.
A number of improvements have been made over the years to increase reliability and the end user normally fits its own fire control system (FCS) and muzzle velocity radar. An M777 version with a longer 155mm/52 cal barrel has been tested in the US and called the M777ER.
For many years the market leader in 105mm towed artillery systems was the Royal Ordnance Nottingham 105mm L118 Light Gun which was built in large numbers of the home and export markets with the US adopting the L119 (as the M119), which has a shorter barrel. The latter has been upgraded a number of times with the latest version being the M119A3.
The 105mm L118 Light Gun has a maximum range of 10.6 miles (17.2 kilometres) firing the standard 105mm high-explosive (HE) projectile with other natures including smoke and illuminating.
The 105mm L118 has a shorter barrel and originally fired the old US 105mm M1HE projectile to a maximum range of 7 miles (11.2km) but since then ammunition with an increased range has been fielded.
The UK has fitted its 105mm L118 Light Guns with the Leonardo Laser Inertial Artillery Pointing System (LINAPS) which has reduced into and out of action times and leads to greater accuracy. LINAPS has been installed on many other artillery systems, towed and self-propelled.
The current out of service date (OSD) for UK 105mm L118 Light Gun is 2030 and for several years the UK Defence Science and Technology Lab has been working on the Lightweight Fires Platform (LFP) Technology Demonstrator Programme (TDP).
This is a three-year pre-concept study to de-risk technologies that could provide the basis for a new Light Gun. This currently has a 127mm ordnance that is unmanned, electrically driven and fitted with a 14 round automatic loader, all within a weight limit of 6,600 pounds (3,000 kilograms).
The other best-selling 105mm gun is the French Nexter LG1 which, although qualified by the French Army was never adopted by them as they prefer to use the now Thales (previously Brandt) 120mm MO-120-RT rifled towed mortar.
The LG1 has a 105mm/30 cal ordnance and firing standard 105mm HE ammunitions has a maximum range of 6.8 miles (11km) but this can be extended to 10.5 miles (17km) with a Nexter 105mm HE Base Bleed Extended Range (HE BB ER) G3 projectile. Nexter can supply the complete 105mm LG1 system including the gun, suite of ammunition and on-board FCS.
Known export sales of the LG1 include Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Indonesia, Senegal, Singapore (no longer deployed) and Thailand.
Building on their extensive experience in the design, development and production of 155mm artillery systems, as a private venture the South African company of Denel developed the 105mm Light Experimental Ordnance (LEO) as well as a suite of new 105mm ammunition.
The first one was really a technology demonstrator and weight 3.8 tonnes (3,800kg) and firing a new 105mm BB projectile a range of 18 miles (29km) was claimed and with a 105mm Velocity-enhanced Long-range Artillery Projectile (VLAP) range was increased to 22.3 miles (36km). As of mid-2023 development of the 105mm LEO had ceased but could be restarted if additional funding was available.
The latest 105mm towed weapon to enter service is the Turkish MKEK Boran 105mm Air Transportable Light Towed Howitzer (ATLTH) which is many respects is very similar to the UK 105mm Light Gun. This is now in production and service with Turkey and features a variable recoil system which has a short recoil of 800mm and a long recoil of 1200mm.
The ATLTH weighs only 3,770lb (1,710kg) and has a maximum range of 10.5 miles (17km) using local developed HE ammunition. When travelling the complete upper part is traversed and locked in position over the closed trails.
It is fitted with an on-board FCS which includes a muzzle velocity radar, inertial navigation system and a direct fire day/night sight on the right side than includes a laser rangefinder.
Truck borne 105mm guns
The main drawback of 105mm towed guns is that they take time to come into and be taken out of action which makes them vulnerable to counter battery fire.
Over the years there have been various attempts to install 105mm guns on the back of trucks to improve their mobility.
AM General of the USA and the Mandus Group have developed the Hawkeye Soft Recoil Technology (SRT) system than can be fitted to existing towed guns including the US 105mm M119 and the UK 105mm L118 Light Gun which has enabled these weapons to be installed on lighter 4×4 and 6×6 platforms.
These include the AM General High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) and more recently the British SUPACAT HMT Extenda (6×6).
This combination enables the weapon to come into action, carry out a fire mission and redeploy before any counter battery fire, as well as having a reduce crew requirement.
The US Army has taken delivered of two AM General M1152 (4×4) HMMWV fitted with the 105mm Hawkeye SRT system and is developing a soft recoil 155mm system under US Army contract.
by Christopher F. Foss
