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XM2001 Crusader

2001 MODERN SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY X-TANK

History

The XM2001 Crusader was built in the 1990s to replace the US Army's aging M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer (SPH). Entering service in the 1960s, the 27-ton Paladin has been involved in many high-level conflicts in the United States since its inception, experienced substantial exports to allies around the world, and is continually modernized to adapt to changing combat situations.

The table updated today (2013) is still a valid M109A6 variant. The XM2001 will take over the production line directly as a complex indirect fire weapons platform until the project is completed in 2002.

The program gained traction in 1995, when United Defense led and was supported by defense contractor General Dynamics. The plan will also deploy an escort ammunition/fuel supply vehicle coupled to the XM2001 main force as an "RSV" ("supply vehicle").

The prototype supply vehicle was delivered in 1999, and the prototype XM2001 artillery platform was delivered in 2000. By the end of the program in 2002, the product had fired more than 4,000 155mm rounds during testing.

However, authorities believed the system lacked the required precision during continuous landings, while vehicle maneuverability proved insufficient. Overall, the XM2001 turned into an (anticipated) expensive venture, useless in replacing the still-valid M109 lineup - eliminating the need to go ahead with an expensive development program.

The Crusader vehicle was designed to showcase the many battlefield-centric advancements of the era. These include improved crew survivability (such as composite armor and fire suppression systems), enhanced autonomy (autoloading), and digital processing (for improved targeting/accuracy). The automatic loading system reduced the workload and crew to three people, two of them in the turret.

The main gun is specifically designed to fire multiple rounds in succession, landing them in the same target area with catastrophic results. The XM2001 platform is expected to significantly improve indirect fire support accuracy while keeping pace with the main armored forces led by Abrams tanks and Bradley support vehicles.

The XM2001 features a faceted, combat-ready hull and turret design. A short, sloping glacis panel emerges up front, leading to the hull roofline. The turret is centrally located, and there is a large overhang above the engine compartment, which basically covers the entire top area of ??the fuselage. The turret overhang allows for increased internal loading of ready-to-fire ammunition in the horizontal compartment.

The engine bay itself is raised slightly from the roofline. The crew entered through the hatch at the top of the tower. The crew consisted of three people - driver, commander and gunner. The driver is located in the front left of the hull, and the rest of the crew is in the power turret.

This is different from previous SPH systems, which required a crew of up to 4 or 5 people - the extra members acted as dedicated loaders.

At the heart of the XM2001 system is the experimental XM297E2 series 155mm gun firing its experimental "smart" ammunition. The gun is mounted on a special mount within the faceted turret bay and has the necessary breech access, a full recoil mechanism and a horizontally slotted muzzle brake to match the advertised autoloader capability. The system allows a rate of fire of 10 to 12 rounds per minute.

With transport locked, the XM296E2 weapon is locked by a hinged structure on the front of the vehicle.

The car was equipped with a 1,500 hp LV100-5 series turbo engine (similar to the one used in the M1 Abrams to facilitate logistics). This enables recorded road speeds of up to 30 mph, according to published performance specifications. The landing gear is a traditional track wheel arrangement with twin tire wheels and seven numbers on one side of the track.

The drive sprocket is at the rear and the chain idler is at the front. No track return rollers are involved, and no side skirt armor is provided. The hull is suspended on a torsion bar suspension system to ensure the required off-road capability.

The only completed XM2001 vehicle is a display at the Fort Sill compound in Lawton, Oklahoma.