An order for 46 M777 howitzers from the US Department of Defense takes the total number of guns ordered to 1001. The order comes as BAE Systems continues deliveries of M777 to Canada and Australia, in addition to the US.
Weighing in at less than 4,200kg, the revolutionary M777 is the world’s first artillery weapon to make widespread use of titanium and aluminium alloys, resulting in a howitzer which is half the weight of conventional 155mm systems. As a result, it can be deployed by medium-lift helicopter quickly and beyond the reach of roadside bombs to otherwise inaccessible areas, extending its reach over the theatre of operations.
“M777’s capability is proven in combat daily – being sling-loaded under helicopters and air-dropped in some of the most demanding operational conditions on the planet,” Mike Smith, managing director of BAE Systems’ Global Combat Systems Weapons business commented. “These additional orders serve to reinforce the confidence that our customers have in the system and its support.
“M777 has passed every development and operational test in vital areas such as accuracy, consistency, operational flexibility and mobility. There is no other modern howitzer which has been subjected to such rigorous examination, or been engaged in such unrelenting operational usage and regular deployment by airborne assets,” added Smith.