M198 Howitzer – Foto e Video

Le Obice M198 è un pezzo di artiglieria da 155 mm trainato di medie dimensioni, sviluppato per il servizio con l'esercito degli Stati Uniti e il Corpo dei Marines. Fu commissionato per sostituire l'obice M114 da 155 mm della seconda guerra mondiale. Fu progettato e prototipato al Rock Island Arsenal nel 1969 con test di tiro a partire dal 1970 e divenne in piena produzione nel 1978. È entrato in servizio nel 1979 e da allora sono state prodotte e messe in funzione 1.600 unità.

fonte: Obice M198 su Wikipedia

The M198 howitzer is a medium-sized, towed artillery piece, developed for service with the United States Army and Marine Corps. It was commissioned to be a replacement for the World War II-era M114 155 mm howitzer. It was designed and prototyped at the Rock Island Arsenal in 1969 with firing tests beginning in 1970 and went into full production there in 1978. It entered service in 1979 and since then 1,600 units have been produced. The M198 was replaced in US and Australian service by the M777 howitzer.
The M198 155 mm howitzer weighs less than 16,000 pounds (7,300 kg), allowing it to be dropped by parachute or transported by a CH-53E Super Stallion or CH-47 Chinook. The M198 is towed by a 5 ton truck that is used to carry the 9 people crew with supplies and ammunition. The gun tube can be rotated over the howitzer’s trail legs to reduce its length, though this requires removal of the muzzle brake, or left in the firing position for faster deployment. When firing, the weapon is lowered onto its baseplate rather than being anchored to the ground, allowing for rapid emplacement. The breech is operated manually via a screw type mechanism that rests low in an ergonomic position.
The M198 fires separate-loading (non-fixed) ammunition and can be loaded with a variety of propellants and projectiles. The effective range is 18.1 kilometers when firing standard projectiles, which increases to 30 kilometers when firing rocket-assisted projectiles and guided ammunition. With the 52-caliber modification the range can surpass 40 kilometers. The weapon system requires a crew of 9 and is capable of firing at a maximum rate of four rounds per minute, two sustained.
The M198 was deployed in separate corps- and army-level field artillery units, as well as in artillery battalions of light and airborne divisions. It provided field artillery fire support for all Marine Air-Ground Task Force organizations until the adoption of the M777 howitzer.