M102 (howitzer)
| M102 (howitzer) | |
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | M102 |
| Manufacturer designation: | 105 mm Howitzer M102 |
| Manufacturer country: |
 United States
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| Developer / Manufacturer: | Rock Island Arsenal |
| Development year: | 1950s |
| Production time: | 1964 to 1970s |
| Number of pieces: | ~ 1,200 |
| Weapon Category: | Field howitzer |
| Team: | 8th |
| Technical specifications | |
| Overall length: | 5.18 m (ready to drive) |
| Pipe length: | 3.38 m |
| Caliber : |
105 mm |
| Caliber length : | L / 32 |
| Weight ready for use: | 1,496 kg |
| Cadence : | 3-10 rounds / min |
| Elevation range: | -5 ° -75 degrees |
| Side straightening area: | 360 ° |
| Furnishing | |
| Closure Type : | vertical wedge lock |
| Charging principle: | manually |
| Ammunition supply: | manually |
The 105 mm M102 howitzer is a lightweight, air-transportable artillery piece of the United States Army . It has been used by the US armed forces since 1966. However, the active units of the US Army have been using the successor model M119 since the early 1990s .
history
Developed as the successor to the outdated M101 - which originated from the Second World War - the new howitzer was introduced by the US armed forces from March 1966. The previous model was then almost completely replaced by 1970. The M102 was used in the Vietnam War , where it served as a light support weapon for airmobile units, but units of the so-called Brown-water Navy also used the weapon on various pontoons as floating artillery support. During the US invasion of Grenada , the M102 was also used as a support weapon for the airborne units, the same happened during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm . In the early 1990s, the US Army began decommissioning the weapon; today, the howitzer is only used by a few units of the National Guard .
The M102 is also used in the AC-130 Gunship heavy attack aircraft.
technology
The 5.2 meter long and 2 meter wide gun weighs 1.3 tons and is only half as heavy as its predecessor M101. It has a lowerable base plate, the wheels are folded up in the firing position, so the gun can quickly be rotated through 360 °. The swivel range in height direction ranges from −5 ° to + 75 °. The pull rod is one-piece and serves as a support during firing. The muzzle velocity of the projectiles is 464 meters per second, the recoil is slowed down by a hydraulic barrel return .
M102 howitzers during Operation Urgent Fury
M102 on CH-47 helicopter, 1988
literature
- Janice E. McKenney: The Organizational History of Field Artillery 1775-2003. Publisher: CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY, UNITED STATES ARMY, WASHINGTON, DC, 2007 online digitized version , 6.51 MB, 415 pages also published as hardcover book: Government Printing Office, 2007, ISBN 978-0-16-087287-7 (viewable via googlebooks )
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ M102 ( Memento from August 19, 2002 in the Internet Archive ) at globalsecurity.org (English)
- ↑ M102 ( Memento from June 1, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) M102 105mm towed howitzer in Army Fact File (Engl.)
- ^ Janice E. McKenney: The Organizational History of Field Artillery 1775-2003. P. 279.