M198 | |
---|---|
Type | Towed howitzer |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1979–present |
Used by | See Operators |
Wars | Lebanese Civil War Gulf War Somali Civil War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Syrian Civil War |
Production history | |
Designed | 1968–1977 |
Manufacturer | Rock Island Arsenal (US) |
Unit cost | US$ 527,337 |
Produced | 1978–1992 |
No. built | 1,600+ |
Specifications | |
Mass | 7,154 kg (15,772 lb) |
Length | Combat: 11 m (36 ft 2 in) Travel: 12.3 m (40 ft 6 in) |
Barrel length | 6.09 m (19.98 ft) L/39[1] |
Width | Travel: 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) |
Height | Travel: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) |
Crew | 9 enlisted men |
Shell | Separate loading charge and projectile[2] |
Caliber | 155 mm (6.1 inch) |
Breech | Interrupted screw[2] |
Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic[2] |
Carriage | Split trail[2] |
Elevation | −5° to +72° |
Traverse | 45° |
Rate of fire | Maximum: 4 rpm Sustained: 2 rpm |
Muzzle velocity | 684 m/s (2,240 ft/s) |
Maximum firing range | Conventional: 22.4km (14 mi), RAP: 30km (18.6 mi), RAP and L/52 barrel: 40km (25 mi) |
The M198 is a medium-sized, towed 155 mm artillery piece, developed for service with the United States Army and Marine Corps. It was commissioned to be a replacement for the World War II-era M114 155 mm howitzer. It was designed and prototyped at the Rock Island Arsenal in 1969 with firing tests beginning in 1970 and went into full production there in 1978. It entered service in 1979 and since then 1,600 units have been produced.
The M198 was replaced in US and Australian service by the M777 howitzer.