US Army Tests Long-Range Cannon, Hits Target 43 Miles Away
%2Favatars%2FBUoTZ6lM79yi.jpg&w=96&q=75)
%2Fimg%2Fiea%2Fjvwvxd8EGx%2Fus-army-tests-cannon-long-range-army.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
The Army's Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) gun fired a shell to a range of 43 miles (70 kilometers) on the dot breaking the world record for precision strikes, reported Defense News. The test took place at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.
RELATED: LEAKED IMAGES FROM U.S. ARMY SHOW "SUPER" CANNON THAT CAN FIRE AT 1,000 MILES AWAY
On the nose
“I don’t think our adversaries have the ability to hit a target on the nose at 43 miles,” Brig. Gen. John Rafferty said in a teleconference held immediately following the successful test. He then further explained that the experiment consisted of three shots.
The first two were failures, while the third one proved a success. The first shot missed due to very high head winds at a high altitude, and the second shot suffered a hardware failure. The army explained that they knew these first shots would likely come short but took them anyway to learn from them.
“This demonstration is not a destination,” said Col. Tony Gibbs, the Army’s program manager for combat artillery system. “This is really just a waypoint in our ongoing campaign of learning as we work to really realign U.S. supremacy in cannon artillery. It’s definitely a big knowledge point for us today.”
A powerful howitzer
The ERCA cannon consists of an M109A7 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) howitzer chassis where the 39-caliber gun tube has been replaced with a 58-caliber, 30-foot (9-meter) one, and has been equipped with Raytheon-made Excalibur munitions. Gibbs explained that it took about a year and a half of testing and analysis to determine whether the Excalibur projectiles could withstand harsher environments.
“So through a number of tests and analysis, we determined what muzzle velocity is required, what chamber pressures the projectile can withstand and so all that came together in today’s test; we fired it at the right propellant combination to provide the right muzzle velocity to achieve the range," said Gibbs.
SHOW COMMENT (1)
/2022/12/19/image/jpeg/JhtZGQxuUxPlgvx9kpQBtjEk08yhzYJ2fKj8YfpE.jpg "How this architect is building stunning office spaces while reducing carbon footprints")
/2022/08/23/image/jpeg/D5pSZUKwWjzsTCNB4CbBUKf2BHBe115631ikwWa6.jpg "An AI-based party vows to win Denmark's general election in 2023. Can it succeed?")
/2023/05/29/image/jpeg/g3qXfk06EeaB5lJxE9bC2rn05nVZniR0idtdl208.jpg "Windows XP activation algorithm is defeated after 21 years")
/2023/05/26/image/webp/6Co80ZJJXboUOYLXIuCvkafLsBWpH8MROKX60PUF.webp "Hyper-luxury Bugatti tower will have its residents drive up to their floor")
/2022/09/03/image/jpeg/C4waON311wC22xtYXU3TJUFinuIq8nxqXUbFpnzA.jpg "A superhero cyborg cockroach could help in rescue operations- here's how")
/2022/08/27/image/jpeg/IeFjJbWsXrfA5c11TAP8weCj6j2S9NgsZy25NvHC.jpg "Space cement is here: How it could be used to build houses on Mars and the Moon")
/2023/05/26/image/jpeg/yhjxLCLRVAFII3e7f5jpUbwsAm3KZzxgtHu0bEOv.jpg "Megalodon tooth necklace from Titanic discovered after 111 years")
/2023/05/26/image/jpeg/smTFO3AG7ESAzCi8L0kVnrUEHbVmcjiZ2KhVW0QE.jpg "Potential cure for diabetes found in groundbreaking stem cell study")
/2023/05/27/image/jpeg/hUmy6fVQvimxfN8HBZ2IjrGKW1f8AVmrkTi3wPtJ.jpg "Stanford professor says he is 100% sure that aliens are already on Earth")
/2022/10/23/image/png/OEgiHAngqvcow1kPsEvWspPWFh0VHYPnhR1nPXdb.png "Scientists accomplish 'evolution on demand' by creating shape-shifting turtle robot")