M777 155mm. Towed Howitzer Artillery...Proving very effective in pushing back Russian Forces.
Howitzers Proving Very Effective Against Russians, DOD Official Says
MAY 16, 2022 | BY DAVID VERGUN, DOD NEWS
The 155 mm M777 towed howitzers supplied by the U.S. and other types supplied by ally and partner nations to Ukraine are having a big impact on the battlefield, a senior Defense Department official said at a Pentagon press briefing today.
"You're already seeing the Ukrainians being willing to go on the counteroffensive in the Donbas [region of Ukraine]. They are taking back some towns that the Russians have taken in the past," the official said.
For example, the Ukrainians are pushing Russian forces to the east and to the north of Kharkiv, Ukraine, the official said.
"We do believe that the howitzers … are having an impact, particularly in Kharkiv. Now is that the only reason? I don't think we would go that far to say that, but we do believe that the systems they're getting — not just the U.S. systems but the systems from other countries — are absolutely helping them regain some momentum and to take back some territory," the official said.
Yesterday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III had a conversation with Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. Reznikov told Austin that 74 of the 90 M777 artillery cannons that the U.S. supplied Ukraine are forward in the fight, providing long-range, indirect fire capability, the official said, noting that the tubes are being used not only in the Kharkiv area but elsewhere in the Donbas.
M777 Howitzer
The M777 howitzer is a towed 155 mm artillery piece. It is used by the ground forces of Australia, Canada, India, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and the United States. It made its combat debut in the War in Afghanistan.
The M777 is manufactured by BAE Systems' Global Combat Systems division. Prime contract management is based in Barrow-in-Furness in the United Kingdom as well as manufacture and assembly of the titanium structures and associated recoil components. Final integration and testing of the weapon is undertaken at BAE's facility in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
Design
The M777 began as the Ultralight Field Howitzer (UFH), developed by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering's (VSEL) Armaments Division in Barrow-in-Furness, UK. VSEL was bought by BAE Systems after the UFH prototypes had been manufactured and demonstrated, consequently BAE became responsible for future design refinements and renamed the gun 'M777'.[citation needed] Upon taking over responsibility for the weapon BAE 'Americanised' to a large degree the construction and assembly through its US-based BAE Systems Land and Armaments group. The M777 now uses about 70% US-built parts including the gun barrel, which is manufactured at the Watervliet Arsenal.
With a weight of 4,200 kg (9,300 lb), the M777 is 41% lighter than the 7,154 kg (15,772 lb) M198 howitzer it replaces. Much of the weight reduction is due to the extensive use of titanium. The gun barrel serves as the towing bar, with the connecting ring forged as a projection of the muzzle brake. The M777 can be transported by helicopter sling-load, transporter aircraft such as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, or towed by air-braked vehicles weighing over 2.5 tonnes (5,500 lb), such as the FMTV and MTVR medium vehicles. The minimum gun crew required is five, compared to a previous nine, although the normal crew is eight; minimal emergency crew rate of fire is decreased.
Type Towed Howitzer
Place of origin United Kingdom
Service history
In service 2005–present
Used by see "Operators"
Wars
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Iraqi conflict
Iraq War
Iraqi Civil War (2014–17)
Syrian civil war
Yemeni Civil War (2014–present)
Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
Russo-Ukrainian War
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Specifications
Mass 4,200 kg (9,300 lb)
Length
Combat: 10.7 m (35 ft)
Travel: 9.5 m (31 ft)
Barrel length 5.08 m (16.7 ft)/L39
Crew 7+1
Shell M107, M549, M712 Copperhead, M795, ERFB, M982
Caliber 155 mm L/39
Carriage Split trail
Elevation 0° to +71.7°
Rate of fire Normal: 2 rpm Maximum: 7 rpm
Muzzle velocity Charge 8S: 827 m/s (2,710 ft/s)
Effective firing range {{|M107: 21 km (13 mi)|M795: 22.5 km (14.0 mi)|ERFB: M795E1 30 km (19 mi) base bleed|Excalibur: 40 km (25 mi)
for more detailed information about M777 Howitzer., please do visit the following web pages at...
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M777_howitzer