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.

Description

The M198 155 mm howitzer weighs less than 16000 lb, allowing it to be dropped by parachute or transported by a CH-53E Super Stallion or CH-47 Chinook. The M198 is towed by a 5 ST truck that is used to carry the nine person crew with supplies and ammunition; it is transported tail first. The gun tube can be rotated over the howitzer's trail legs to reduce its length, though this requires removal of the muzzle brake, or left in the firing position for faster deployment. When firing, the weapon is lowered onto its baseplate rather than anchored to the ground, allowing for rapid emplacement. The breech is operated manually via a screw type mechanism that rests low in an ergonomic position. The M198 fires separate-loading (non-fixed or semi-fixed) ammunition and can be loaded with a variety of propellants and projectiles. The effective range is 18.1 km when firing standard projectiles, which increases to 30 km when firing rocket-assisted projectiles and guided ammunition. With the 52-caliber modification, the range can surpass 40 km. The weapon system requires a crew of nine, and is capable of firing at a maximum rate of four rounds per minute, two sustained. The M198 was deployed in separate corps- and army-level field artillery units, as well as in artillery battalions of light and airborne divisions. It provided field artillery fire support for all Marine Air-Ground Task Force organizations until the adoption of the M777 howitzer.

Ammunition types

Replacement

BAE Systems won the contract to replace the M198 in the US Army and Marine Corps with its M777 155 mm/39 cal towed howitzer, which weighs less than 4200 kg. It was introduced in 2005.

Operators

Current operators

Former operators