M102 howitzer

M102
M102
	The M102 howitzer firing
Type	Howitzer
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1964–present
Wars	Vietnam War ; Invasion of Grenada ; Gulf War ; Iraq War ; Lebanese Civil War ; Salvadoran Civil War
Production history
Designed	1962
Manufacturer	Rock Island Arsenal
Specifications
Mass	1,496 kg (3,298 lb)
Length	Travel: 6.40 m (21 ft)
Barrel length	32 calibres
Width	Travel: 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Height	Travel: 1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)
Crew	8
Shell	105 × 372 mm R
Caliber	105 mm (4.1 in)
Action	Vertical sliding-wedge
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic
Carriage	Box trail
Elevation	−5° to +75°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	Maximum: 10 rpm; Normal: 3 rpm
Effective firing range	11.5 km (7.1 miles)
Maximum firing range	15.1 km (9.4 miles) with rocket-assisted projectile

The M102 is a light, towable 105 mm howitzer. It was used by the United States Army in the Vietnam War,^[2] the First Gulf War, and the Iraq War.^[3]

Overview

The M102 105 mm howitzer is used in helicopter, attack plane, and light infantry operations. The weapon carriage is lightweight welded aluminum. It is mounted on a variable recoil mechanism. The weapon is manually loaded and positioned. It can be towed by a 2-ton truck or High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), which can be transported by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, or can be dropped by parachute with airborne units. Since 1964, the Army acquired 1,150 M102 towed howitzers. The weapon is being replaced by the M119-series 105 mm howitzer.^[4]

102 Howitzer belonging to Battery A, 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery, 39th Brigade Combat Team, in position at Camp Taji, Iraq 29 May 2004

Characteristics

Caliber: 105 mm (4.13 in)
Length: 21.8 feet (6.4 m)
Barrel Length: 32 calibres
Width: 6.4 feet (2 m)
Height: 5.2 feet (1.6 m)
Weight: 1.5 tons (1.4 t)
Crew: 8
Rate of fire: 10 rounds per minute maximum, 3 rounds per minute sustained
Range: 11,500 m (7.1 miles), 15,100 m (9.4 miles) with rocket-assisted projectile