Rock Island Arsenal M102

History of Rock Island Arsenal M102

In 1955, the US Army requested a new towed light howitzer to replace the M101, with the same basic design as the M2 developed in 1940. There is a need for a lighter model with greater traversal capability.

The prototype was tested in 1962 and named the XM102, after testing the unit was standardized as the M102 in 1963.

In June 1964, the weapon was transferred to South Vietnam. Due to the rainy climate, the U.S. military has discovered operational problems with many weapon systems, such as M16 jamming. Likewise, the M102 had reliability issues in the non-weatherproof parts of the ranging system and fire control system.

After a little tweaking, the problem was quickly resolved.

Leaving the 155mm gun to the M114 for heavy fire engagement, the M102 is suitable for airborne and air mobility forces as well as US Marine Corps missions in the country. Because it is lighter but has a longer barrel than the M101, the M102 has a longer range for the same ammo.

One burst of 6 howitzers, 3 companies formed a battalion. Eight crew members served the gun.

The M102 consists of 4 main components. M137 gun, M37 recoil system, M31 frame and fire control system. Eight crew members are required to operate and fire. A major weapon upgrade is the roller on the bottom of the stern, which allows the gun to rotate 360 ??degrees.

In Vietnam, it was necessary to fight targets in all directions in a short period of time, because the fire base was attacked by multiple parties at the same time. The U.S. Army and U.S.

Marine Corps transport howitzers by helicopter or airdrop to support all types of air offensive operations by U.S. and South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) military units.

The M102 was retired from front-line service, but the U.S. Marine Corps fired the weapon with it. The U.S. Air Force uses a few variants in the AC-130 Gunship.

The reported range for the ammunition type is 12,575 yards for the M1 projectile and 16,515 yards for the M548 projectile. It can reach a rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute, and 3 rounds per minute when firing continuously.

The cross section is 360 degrees and the elevation ranges from -5 degrees to +75 degrees.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Change. Depends on the ammunition carrier.

Changes