87 additional M777A2 155mm towed howitzers valued at $176 million for US forces
BAE Systems has received a new order from the U.S. Department of Defense for 87 additional M777A2 155mm towed howitzers, valued at $176 million. The order adds to the 589 M777A2 howitzers already on order for the U.S. armed forces, of which more than 300 have been delivered.
The 155mm towed howitzers purchased under this contract will be delivered in 2010.
The M777 howitzer is the world’s first artillery system to incorporate large-scale use of titanium and aluminum alloys; weighing less than 10,000 lbs (4220 kilograms) it is the world’s lightest 155mm howitzer, resulting in a field gun that is half the weight of a conventional 155mm system. The light weight enables rapid deployment of M777 into any theater of operation. The gun is now being deployed using the new M982 Excalibur guided ammunition, developed by Raytheon and BAE Systems, which delivers a maximum range of 40km with an accuracy of 10 meters.
M777 is currently in service with the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Canada also has 12 M777 howitzers in service, with potential requirements for an additional 22 howitzers. The Canadian Royal Horse Artillery has a number of M777s operational in Afghanistan where the gun is known by local insurgents as the ‘Desert Dragon’.
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