Major components of the artillery system include the cannon, gun mount, artillery projectile, and propelling charges. A photo from U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, showing developmental testing of multiple facets of the Extended Range Cannon Artillery project. We had relatively few sidesteps, but considering how the pandemic affected the whole world, Im proud that we stuck with our engineering processes and proved out some concepts that not too long ago were nothing more than calculations and drawings.. This program was developing a long-range cannon with a range of over 1,000 miles or 1600 kilometers. Soldier Touchpoints with hardware, software, and ammunition sub-systems are Extended Range Cannon Artillery Program Gains Momentum. In bottom right section of this photo, the Army Vice Chief of Staff, Gen. Joseph M. Martin, observes the second demonstration of the Extended Range Canon Artillery autoloader by observing the machinations through an ERCA opening. The ERCA effort is nested within the Armys top Modernization Priority, Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF). BAE Systems has successfully fired its Long-Range Precision Guidance Kit (LR-PGK) for 155mm artillery projectiles from the US Army's Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The M1299 is an American prototype 155 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer developed by BAE Systems in 2019 under the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) program. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and led to heavy, fairly immobile siege engines. The ERCA armaments are fitted on an M109A7 Paladin chassis to form the self-propelled ERCA system. It is just built into the fabric of the culture here., Fortunately, the team is all in one place: ERCA from the turret bearing up is a 100-percent Armaments Center-developed system, said Fay. 2021 ( tDAR id: 466175) ; doi:10.48512/XCV8466175, Site Name (requires login), Subscribe to Digital Antiquity on Youtube. Boeing and Nammo were awarded a contract in July 2019 under the Army's XM1155 program, an effort to further develop extended-range artillery munition. on northern Vandenberg Space Force Base (Exhibit 1). We are proud to demonstrate these game-changing capabilities working together in a realistic setting to inform those decisions. It was built to validate key aspects of the engineering approach during the march toward the objective autoloader, and the tests allowed the team to verify that key components would work as intended in realistic conditions, while close observation of its performance would inform future autoloaders. The regulatory requirements for an EIS are more detailed and rigorous than the requirements for an Environmental Assessment. During a press teleconference, the Army's Long-Range Precision Fires Cross Functional Team director, Brigadier General John Rafferty remarked that: The 'extended-range cannon artillery system' was fired at a test range in Arizona It had broken the record for the longest precision-guided cannon shot in history The supergun will be. tDAR (the Digital Archaeological Record) is the digital repository of the Center for Digital Antiquity, a collaborative organization and university Center at Arizona State University. The Army's Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) system under development hit a target 43 miles away or 70 kilometers on the nose at Yuma Proving Ground. Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. What we are seeing today is a result of Army investments in future cannon artillery technologies that are transitioning out of the Science and Technology phase and to Project Manager Self-Propelled Howitzer Systems under Section 804 Middle Tier Acquisition Authority as well as to PM CAS to equip the warfighter with more capability and further informing the ERCA Capability Development Document requirement, said Rich Granitzki, DEVCOMs Science and Technology advisor to LRPF CFT. Autoloader systems speeds rate of artillery fire, Autoloader System speeds artillery firing capability. Digital Antiquity and tDAR are and have been supported by a number of organizations, including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The program, which has also been called the Strategic Long-Range Cannon and the Extended Range Cannon Artillery II, sought to use unspecified technologies to dramatically extend the range of cannon artillery. First, the fuze is set. At the tactical level, the Army is pushing ahead on the Extended Range Cannon Artillery, "which takes our current efforts to modernize the Paladin and replaces the turret and the cannon. Russia's debut of its 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV 152mm self propelled howitzer occurred in 2015 with reports now indicating it is beginning to enter wider service. Monday, May 23 The Extended Range Cannon Artillery weapon will be an improvement to the latest version of the Paladin self-propelled howitzer that provides indirect fires for the brigade. Shortly after Task & Purpose published this story regarding the ERCAs new name, officials from Army Futures Command reached out with a message: the ERCA isnt actually named Iron Thunder after all despite the 4-27 FAs post stating as much. Development of the ERCA autoloader capability is notable because it would enable the cannon to fire at significantly faster rates, enhance lethality, and it may set the stage for future optionally manned artillery battery configurations where fewer or possibly no Soldiers would be required at the cannon during firing operations. Contact the author here. According to photos recently posted online by the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, the Army had purportedly christened the XM1299 Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) the Iron Thunder during a ceremony at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey last week. The service will test-fire 77 non-explosive projectiles from the Extended Range Cannon Artillery II at Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, over those two years, mostly in FY-24, according to the notice . Year: 2021 Summary This document is a Section 106 State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Transmittal Letter for the US Army Range Extended Range Cannon Artillery II Test Program. The pointing has to be in the right place at the right time and not be moving while were loading. Federal agencies prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) if a proposed major federal action is determined to significantly affect the quality of the human environment. By Thunder 6 and Thunder 7 visited Picitinny Arsenal. washington the u.s. army took two shots from its extended range cannon artillery system, which both reached 65 kilometers in range and hit their intended targets, in a demonstration at yuma. The goal is to hit targets up to 70 kilometers (43 miles) away, or more than twice the range of the Paladin (ECRA achieved this goal with an Excalibur guided shell during a December 2020 test). Lee added that a significant capability of the autoloader was that it portends future artillery battery configurations where a howitzer would perform fire missions without necessarily requiring that Soldiers be in the vehicle during the firing operations. The Armys next-generation artillery system can nail targets at twice the range of the services existing howitzers, but apparently it will remain nameless for the time being despite recent posts on social media from its newly-appointed operational test unit. The autoloader for the Extended Range Canon Artillery is intended to speed up the rate of fire for greater lethality. Back in 2019 we set an aggressive plan to grow the rate-of-fire capabilities with ERCA in a sequence of tests, culminating in what we just demonstrated at Yuma, said Granitzki. The ERCA has recently proven itself a formidable long-range weapon system, capable of striking a target at 43 miles (70 km) away with a salvo of M982A1 Excalibur guided artillery shells during testing in March far outstripping the range of both the M109A7 Paladin (18 miles, or 30 km, with a rocket-assisted projectile) and the M777 (25 miles, or 40 km, with a rocket-assisted projectile) howitzers. Want to write for Task & Purpose? The Army remains on track for initial fielding in 2023 of its new Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) system, designed to hit targets out to 70 kilometers, with plans this year to demonstrate an autoloader for the cannon and conduct a shot with the new Excalibur Hit-to-Kill guided munition. Charles Hansen. By Timothy Rider March 3, 2022 Army engineers demonstrated a lethal combination of cannon capabilities - extended range, increased rate-of-fire and lethal precision strike - when it fired. It is a more complex machine because projectiles, fuzes and propellant charges come in different shapes, sizes, and weights, which requires the autoloader to handle a range of configurations to execute a fire mission. However, the technology is still in its early stages - and it won't be ready for use soon. Incidental Take Authorization: U.S. Air Force Testing of Extended Range Cannon Artillery II at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California Notice | West Coast Overview Authority Marine Mammal Protection Act Action Status Notice Effective 10/01/2023 Affected Species California Sea Lion Steller Sea Lion Harbor Seal Northern Elephant Seal Summary The Armaments Center engineers are working at Picatinny with an industry partner via an Other Transaction Agreement contract vehicle to attain the desired ammunition handling capability. Those items include an upgraded armament that enables a projectiles velocity to continue increasing inside before exiting, and a sliding block breech built to withstand the immense pressure of the new Supercharge extended range propelling charge. "The proposed. Internet Explorer lacks support for the features of this website. ERCA II is the same program as the SLRC, the spokesman told Inside Defense today. A Ukrainian soldier takes a selfie as an artillery system fires in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. On the 19 December, the US Army tested its Extended Rage Cannon Artillery (ERCA) system at Arizona's Yuma Proving Ground. The autoloader is a machine that performs these well-orchestrated tasks, which have historically been performed by cannon crew members. The demonstration was the culminating event in a series of live-fire tests involving increasingly mature, complex and capable technologies operating in harmony. While the lucky soldiers with the 4-27 FA will get to put the ERCA through its paces over the coming years, the service plans on continuing to push the range of the supergun beyond 70 km and, in time, procure up to 77 ERCA vehicles through fiscal year 2026, according to the Congressional Research Service report. The Army says that longer-range artillery systems are needed to respond to what DoD calls the enemy anti-access, area denial (A2/AD) environment (layered and integrated long-rangeprecision-strike systems, littoral anti-ship capabilities, air defenses, and long-range artillery and rocket systems), which can theoretically keep U.S. forces at bay and deny freedom of movement, according to a recent Congressional Research Service report on the Pentagons LRPF efforts. Our soldiers will be the first to be trained on and employ the Armys newest artillery capability, the unit wrote on Facebook. Last updated by Such range has already been demonstrated by various self-propelled howitzers. By Timothy Bucklin in AFV, Army, Army, Artillery, Daily News, USA August 7, 2019. The Long Range Precision Fires Cross Functional Team (CFT) has set plans in motion for a two phased capability improvement by first providing the Soldier a self-propelled howitzer with increased range, followed by an increase to rate-of-fire. An Extended Range Cannon Artillery Rate of Fire Prototype is seen on display at the Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J., for the the 2021 Army Navy Game shortly after the system demonstrated extended range, increased rate-of-fire and lethal precision strike during Project Convergence 2021 at Yuma Proving Ground in October. Extended Range Cannon Artillery Rate of Fire Prototype at the 2021 Army Navy Game. Here's What You Need to Remember: Now, the Army is taking this technology several steps beyond this by not only more than doubling the range of standard 155mm artillery through a program known. 906e6783fd963cc337785003930443e24dc66234 (master), Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) - SHPO Correspondence, San Antonio Terrace Archaeological District, Request Access, Submit Correction, Comment We take small steps to prove things out, and it grows bigger and bigger. In November 2018, an earlier variant of the ERCA, the XM1299 howitzer, fired projectiles out to 72 kilometers at Yuma, the farthest-reaching shots ever made by U.S. Army howitzers, and more than double the reach of currently fielded Army artillery systems. The autoloader for the Extended Range Canon Artillery is intended to speed up the rate of fire for greater lethality. We were certainly putting more energy into the system, but thats one of the things we tracked early on, and now were much more comfortable with those higher loads then when we first started out, said Fay. The Armaments Center is going through a renaissance period where we did a lot, an almost 100-percent in-house effort to design the cannon, the autoloader and the breech design. This 58-caliber cannon is significantly longer than 39-caliber cannon of the M109A7. Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB). The Facebook post by 4-27FA inaccurately implied the ERCA was named Iron Thunder. The letter initiates Section 106 with the Tribe and 1) seeks comment for the project's Area of Potential Effect, 2) indicates four archaeological historic properties that have been previously determined not eligible for the National Register, and lastly, 3) the . The elevation system has to be designed so that it points quickly and accurately. It increased range from 30-40 km on the M109A7 to a around 50 km with standard projectiles and over 70 km with new XM1113 rocket-assisted projectiles. The industry partner develops the magazines while working in coordination with the Armaments Centers autoloader development team. The demonstration was held at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center). but it lost to the MPF Griffin II. ERCA II is a multi-element, multi-phase test program of the Armys next generation artillery systems. Current US artillery has 15-45 mile ranges. This, in combination with the maneuverability of the M109A7 PIM, is important in the presence of counter battery fires. The most challenging aspect of the objective capacity autoloaders continued development revolves around the coordination of the motion controls and software testing that underpins the successful functioning of the complex system, said Lee. | The benefit of having 1000 mile ranges is that the combat radius of fighter planes is about 700-800 miles unless there is midair refueling. The name was especially appropriate given that the Fort Bliss-based 4-27 FA also nicknamed Iron Thunder since its formation more than a century ago will serve as the ERCAs new operational test unit, according to the announcement. The objective is clear: increase the range of U.S. Army artillery. Civil War cannonballs were mostly made of cast-iron and in rare cases from lead. Jared Keller is the managing editor of Task & Purpose. The poster does not offer any other hard requirements for the. The Armys plan to build a fleet of ERCA systems is estimated to cost the service at least a half-billion dollars,according to the GAO assessment, which noted that the service expects the ERCAs related technologies to be mature upon the completion of the rapid prototyping effort in 2023.. The US Army will begin testing Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) prototypes at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona over the coming weeks in anticipation of a year-long operational test set for . After the June tests, the ERCA project teams had demonstrated independently both the interim range and rate-of-fire goals that were established during the STO phase. CA-SBA-739 The ERCA systems development emerged as a formal research effort known as a STO for Science and Technology Objective following a 2013 study that assessed next-generation artillery. An authentic Civil War 12-pound cannon ball from an unknown battle between 1861 and 1865. They were the farthest-reaching shots ever made by U.S. Army howitzers at the time, and more than double the reach of currently fielded Army artillery systems. The armament, fitted on an M109A7 Paladin Integrated Management chassis, forms the XM1299 self-propelled ERCA system, which has been formally transitioned to Project Manager Self Propelled Howitzer Systems. Now the Army is bringing artillery to the next level by doubling the range of its precision artillery to 70km through its Extended Range Cannon Artillery program. Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA), essentially an upgraded Paladin with a longer barrel, rocket-assisted projectiles, and an autoloader. There are also several versions of the Supercharge in various stages of development to support an increased range capability. ', Indeed, the original 4-27 FA Facebook post has since been updated to reflect that the Army has not officially named the XM 1299., Despite the ceremony, the Army has not officially named the XM 1299. 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