Army’s Mobile Howitzer Shoot-Off Shows Value Of International Defense Industrial Base (From The National Interest)

For the U.S. Army to win a high-intensity conflict, it will require indirect-fire systems with additional range, greater precision, and enhanced maneuverability. To that end, the Army is investing in upgrading and modernizing its artillery. One element of this program is replacing towed 155mm artillery in the Stryker Brigade Combat Teams with a truck-mounted system. The Army did not have the time or resources to undertake a new start program. Instead, it went on a global search for existing designs that were production ready. The U.S. Army is preparing for a 2021 “shoot-off” of candidates for a truck-mounted 155-millimeter howitzer acquisition to equip its SBCTs. Of the companies that have indicated an interest in this program, only one is entirely U.S.-owned. Apart from the United States, the leading candidates are those from the UK, Israel, France, and Serbia. Each offers enhanced range, rate of fire, survivability, mobility, and reduced manpower/maintenance compared to the existing towed 155-millimeter system. I have written more on this new program and the leading candidates in the shoot out here.