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M777 UFH (Ultra-lightweight Field Howitzer)

2005 MODERN

History of the M777 UFH (Ultra Field Howitzer)

The M777 "Ultra Light Field Howitzer" (UFH) was developed as a private enterprise (part of Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd.) and eventually evolved into the official replacement for the US Army and Navy's aging M198 155mm artillery regiment products (among other global users). The M198 itself entered service in 1979 and its design origins date back to the late 1960s.

In the end, around 1,600 units were produced and fought around the world. BAe Systems has received a new defense contract to develop and produce a replacement for the M198, the "XM777". The design series was subsequently named "M777". The M777 has been used in combat operations in Afghanistan with the US military and entered service in 2005. In addition to being used by the US military, the M777 has been used by 35 and 37 weapon systems by the Australian and Canadian militaries respectively (as of this writing - 2012).

The U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps have about 580 guns ready and another 421 on order (2012).

The M777 system weighs less than 10,000 pounds, making it the lightest weapon in its specific classification - lighter than the previous M198 series. This type of engineering makes the M777 system extremely adaptable on the battlefield and transportable in a variety of ways, improving on both the tactical and logistical qualities of the original M198. Therefore, the M777 can be transported by land using an approved service truck or by air using an approved aircraft.

In the latter case, these include the new MV-22 Osprey twin-rotor helicopter and the proven CH-47 Chinook twin-rotor transport helicopter with the M777 unit suspended below the fuselage. For fully enclosed air transport, the M777 can be installed in the cargo compartment of the C-5 Galaxy, C-160 Transall, C-141 Starlifter and C-130 Hercules series medium to large transport aircraft.

The M777 main gun and mounts are mounted on a carriage system consisting of a two-wheel split-rail (body and saddle) configuration. When ready to fire, the M777 adopts a four-point stance for maximum support and is content with the violent recoil inherent in the weapon. For this, the muzzle is also covered by a large muzzle brake with two baffles. Lifting and traversing is done on the back of the weapon near the breech, as is loading and reloading. The M777 is operated by five specially trained personnel to handle the various functions of the weapon (the M198 requires nine personnel).

The barrel has a diameter of 155 mm (39 caliber) and weighs approximately 9,300 lbs (compared to the 15,700 lbs of the M198 series). The weapon has a rate of fire of up to five rounds per minute and a sustained rate of two rounds per minute. The barrel is designed for 2,650 rounds. The Rocket Assisted Projectile (RAP) increases the weapon system's effective range to 18.6 miles (30 kilometers). Conventional projectiles have a base range of 15 miles.

The use of titanium alloys throughout the M777's design reduces overall operating weight.

The M777A1 Standard (previously known as the M777E1) features a custom digital firepower system using the latest positioning and targeting technology. The M777A1 has begun to replace the current generation M198 howitzers in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps inventory. Another variant, the M777A2, has been in combat since January 2008.

It is based on the M777A1 but has been slightly redesigned to fire the new Raytheon Excalibur precision projectile (limited to 25 miles) with a new software update. The US National Guard is also an active user of the M777 series.

The A2 logo is the latest production standard for the current M777 series.

Although the true origin of the gun is in the UK, the final assembly of the gun takes place at the BAe factory in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA. About 70 percent of the weapons are done in the United States.

2016 - An in-vehicle version of the M777 was introduced in 2006, known as the M777 "Portee".

April 2016 - Announced that testing of the M777ER (extended range) variant is underway. This model adds a 6-foot barrel extension to the existing M777 barrel, increasing the range to 70 kilometersmore than double the weapon's range. The weapon was demonstrated to members of the U.S.

Marine Corps at Yuma Proving Ground (Arizona).

January 2017 - The Canadian Army successfully conducts live-fire tests with the M777 howitzer and uses an anti-jamming device for its GPS unit.

November 2018 - The Indian Army has officially unveiled its new inventory of 155mm M777A2 series towed field guns from the United States. One hundred and forty-five guns would eventually make up India's stockpile, spread over about seven regiments.