Artillery news

[panzergator]

See Youtube: LORAS - KND's new King of Artillery. This one is about the TRACKED RCH system. This is the Boxer RCH converted to a tracked chassis with a longer barrel. Soon after the fielding of the Boxer RCH, the Germans became concerned about the wheeled chassis as difficulty with cross country performance. This is their answer. There are several tubes providing comparisons of Panzerhaubitz shortcomings vs Boxer RCH and trucks mounted systems, such as Caesar and Archer. There are a number of considerations for selecting your next artillery fleet.

Interesting add-on is the use of the chassis for a tracked Boxer IFV. Probably eventually a different name, but looks like the Boxer IFV turret.

Let the kit bashing begin! I'm looking' at YOU, Chris!

Seems to me, short-term, US should be looking at using M109 chassis mated with RCH chassis. The RCH system represents a significant capability improvement and would be worth a short-term effort. The difficulty with it is the crew is in the hull for RCH. I'm not familiar enough with M109 to say the crew could be contained in the hull.

[MechCommander]

I think Canada is getting one too with their Grizzly SPH.

[Hoth_902]

Interesting....

[chrisswim]

Oh no, the pressure is on….
I’ll need to check this out.

[redleg]

You had me at Artillery! I will check this out today.

[chrisswim]

Yes Redleg. Oh my, just where did that name come from???

[redleg]

Very interesting video! I watched that one, as well as the video comparing the current 52 caliber barrel and the new 58 caliber barrel. Definitely some very big changes coming to artillery! Two thoughts immediately came to mind after watching the video:

First, there is a defense spending spree in Europe right now, but there appears to be, at least to me, competing ideas of where to spend the money. Some want more traditional systems like tanks and artillery, but some want to spend the bulk of that money on new technologies. It makes me wonder how many of these new howitzers we will see fielded. I agree that the US should jump on the opportunity to acquire a lot of them.

Second, this will require a whole new mindset for artillery leaders (which is not a bad thing). Being able to shoot on the move will require hyper awareness of things like intervening terrain, fire support control measures (no fire areas and airspace coordination areas), gun-target lines, and accurate locations of all friendly units. All totally doable, just requires a different thought process from occupying 1km position areas that is/was taught for Paladin operations.

As for an M109 chassis with an RCH turret – I’m sure it is possible. The M109 turret ring is about waist high to the crew standing in the turret, but if the system is automated and requires a smaller crew, I’m sure the engineers can figure it out. Nothing says the crew has to sit side-y-side like in MLRS or Crusader.

[panzergator]

I started with "just plop the RCH turret down on an M109 chassis, knowing it isn't as easy as that.

[chrisswim]

Good post PG. I also appreciate your comments Redleg.
Could the US evaluate SP artillery, thinking of reducing towed artillery. With the evaluation of SP artillery being able to fire then move. Certainly, drones change that equation.

[panzergator]

I don't know enough about artillery procedures, but it appears to me that, with current observation and counter battery capabilities, towed artillery seems unusable. It's just too vulnerable. The move to trucks and tracks mounted guns seems to be a must. Wheeled chassis have concerning limitations under common field conditions - mud, snow. The ability to move down a road at speed does not seem a reasonable tradeoff, given that roads are easily interdicted. Air superiority and an ability to interfere in the radio frequency spectrum does not seem to be a factor in preventing observation and attack by drones. GPS cannot, however, be relied upon as a means of guidance for artillery guns or missiles, so artillery folks will have to do a lot of thinking about new methods.

How about installing RCH turrets on the MLRS chassis? I think I'll do a kitbash battery of those.

[redleg]

I agree that the ability to rapidly displace is essential to survive in a contested environment (or even better just shoot without stopping!) The only downside to current SP artillery is that they aren't air mobile. I think most of the lighter wheeled systems are in the neighborhood of 15 tons, which is still too heavy to sling load under a Chinook or Osprey.

The Hawkeye howitzer (105mm on a HMMWV) is light enough to sling load. Perhaps that system will evolve into a shoot on the move howitzer that is light enough for airborne and air assault units.

https://militarnyi.com/en/news/american ... n-ukraine/

[panzergator]

Read an article today that US Army had selected Hanwah K9. It's the wheeled version, of course, long trailer. Will not maneuver well.

[redleg]

I have a feeling we are going to have to learn some lessons the hard way! LOL

[panzergator]

That IS the Army way!