Over the past decades, the US Army has repeatedly upgraded the M109 Paladin self-propelled artillery mounts. At the same time, it became clear long ago that such a technique cannot be updated forever and needs to be replaced. A few weeks ago, at the AUSA Annual Meeting 2018, a discussion was held on the prospects for ground artillery and calls were again made to replace the M109 with new samples. Among other things, lawmakers recalled the closed project XM2001 Crusader. Two decades ago, this self-propelled gun was already considered as a future replacement for the "Paladins".
In early October, a regular conference of the US Army Association (AUSA) took place, during which the military, experts and government officials discussed a number of critical issues. Together with other topics, the development of ground forces in general and ground artillery in particular was discussed. In this context, very harsh statements were made about the lag of the United States behind other leading countries of the world. As a result, urgent action is needed to close the gap, after which benefits must be achieved.
Cause for concern
The "troublemaker" during the conference was Republican Senator Jim Inhof. In his speech, he criticized the administration of the previous President Barack Obama, which sought to reduce military spending and, because of this, hindered the development of the army. In particular, this led to the fact that in the field of artillery systems, the US army began to lag behind the Russian and Chinese armed forces.
Prototype ACS XM2001. Photo Snafu-solomon.com
According to J. Inhof, during the two terms of B. Obama's rule, the American army postponed the maintenance and modernization of artillery systems, while the main foreign competitors were engaged in their improvement. All this led to a natural result. US guns and self-propelled guns are inferior in firing range and rate of fire to Russian and Chinese ones. The senator hopes that the army will not have to work with worn-out equipment in the future, as it will be able to receive new and improved weapons.
In the context of the development of land artillery, first of all, they remembered the self-propelled guns of the Paladin family. All such vehicles, which are in service with the US Army, have undergone repair and modernization in the past according to new projects. Thanks to this, all drill equipment belongs to the latest modifications M109A6 and M109A7. At the same time, part of the existing ACS of the "A6" version must undergo modernization and reach the "A7" level. However, modernization cannot continue indefinitely. The last serial "Paladins" were delivered to the army in 2003, and therefore even the newest equipment of this type will require replacement in the future.
Discussing the issue of a cardinal upgrade of self-propelled artillery, the conference participants remembered the project of the XM2001 Crusader combat vehicle. Its development began in the mid-nineties and continued until the early 2000s. The delivery of the first such vehicles to the army was planned in 2004, but was canceled due to the closure of the project. Now the military and lawmakers are considering returning to the old project in order to create a completely new SPG to replace the M109.
Promising "Crusader"
The program for the development of a promising self-propelled artillery installation AFAS (Advanced Field Artillery System - "Advanced field artillery system") was launched in 1994. The aim of the work was to create a new combat vehicle with the working name XM2001 Crusader ("Crusader"), surpassing the existing M109 in all the main characteristics. By the middle of the next decade, the XM2001 was supposed to be delivered to the series and begin deliveries to the troops. At the end of the 2000s, at least most of the artillery units would be able to switch to new equipment and abandon the outdated Paladins.
Upgraded self-propelled gun M109A7. US Army Photos
The new self-propelled gun, according to the original plans, was to be based on original ideas and solutions and have only limited similarity with existing models. In particular, until a certain time, the possibility of creating a weapon for ammunition with a liquid propellant charge was considered. This idea was later abandoned, but it was decided to develop other bold proposals. In particular, the ACS Crusader was supposed to carry a highly effective fire control system that interacts with modern communications and control systems.
The XM2001 project proposed the construction of a self-propelled unit, vaguely similar to existing vehicles. The tracked chassis of the AMS family became the base for it. It was planned to mount a turret with weapons, ammunition and controls on it. Thanks to this arrangement, the ACS was able to fire in any direction only by turning the turret. An interesting feature of the car was the shape of the tower. This unit was distinguished by a reduced height and greater length, and also lay tightly on the roof of the hull. Because of this, in certain positions, the tower turned out to be like a superstructure and gave the car a specific appearance.
The hull and turret for the "Crusader" were proposed to be assembled from light combined armor panels. The specifics of the future work made it possible to reduce the protection. The self-propelled gun was supposed to withstand only bullets and shrapnel hits. At the same time, the project provided for the possibility of installing an active protection complex to combat more serious threats. Also, the safety of the crew was ensured by collective anti-nuclear protection and an automatic fire extinguishing system.
"Crusader" in section. Ammunition storage facilities are visible. Figure Fas.org
In the aft engine compartment of the chassis, it was planned to place a small-sized gas turbine engine LV100-5, which was a joint development of Honeywell International and General Electric. The possibility of using a diesel engine with similar parameters was also considered. The engine was connected to an automatic transmission that worked with rear drive wheels. A seven-roller undercarriage with an independent torsion bar suspension was used. Separate coulters for ground support were not provided for firing.
The most important feature of the XM2001 project was the use of an uninhabited fighting compartment. All processes inside the tower and the corresponding part of the hull were carried out using automated remote-controlled devices. At the same time, the crew consisted of three people and was in the front compartment of the hull, where all the necessary control panels were located. During combat work, the crew should not have left their jobs. Even the loading of ammunition from the transport vehicle was carried out automatically.
The main weapon of the self-propelled gun was the 155 mm XM297E2 gun with a 56 caliber barrel. The gun barrel was equipped with a developed muzzle brake and an external casing. An interesting innovation was the liquid cooling system for the barrel, breech and parts of the gun carriage, designed to reduce the negative effect of heating on firing accuracy. Reliability during long-term firing was also planned to be provided with the help of a laser ignition system. The gun mount changed the vertical guidance angles in the range from -3 ° to + 75 °.
The project provided for the use of a fire control system based on modern digital components, which has a connection with advanced navigation, communication and control facilities. The ACS was supposed to determine its position according to the signals from the GPS system. The reception of target designation was provided with the immediate calculation of guidance data and preparation for firing.
Self-propelled feed. The dimensions of the tower are noticeable and the large exhaust pipe of the gas turbine engine is visible. Photo Snafu-solomon.com
The gun was supposed to use all existing 155 mm caliber projectiles that meet NATO standards. At the same time, for their acceleration, it was proposed to use modular MACS charges, the development of which was being completed at that time. The mechanized stacking of the turret contained 48 separate loading rounds. The supply of the projectile and charge into the barrel was carried out automatically, according to the commands of the crew. Due to this, it was possible to obtain a rate of fire of up to 10-12 rounds per minute with the restoration of the aiming after each shot.
Together with the self-propelled gun, the XM2002 transport vehicle was developed. Outwardly, it was similar to the XM2001, but differed in the composition of the equipment. In the inner compartments of the conveyor, 110 rounds were placed, as well as means for their reloading onto a combat vehicle. With the help of retractable conveyors, the ACS and the conveyor could replenish ammunition in automatic mode. During the reloading of ammunition, the crews of both vehicles remained in their places. It took 12 minutes to load 48 shots.
Combat and transport vehicles had similar dimensions. Length (excluding the cannon) - 7.5 m, width - 3.3 m, height - 3 m. The combat weight of the XM2001 Crusader was 40 tons; the XM2002 transporter was 4 tons lighter. The maximum speed of both cars on the highway reached 65-67 km / h. The speed on rough terrain is about 45 km / h. The power reserve is 500 km. Dimensions and weight ensured the air transportability of the equipment. At the same time, during the development of the project, such qualities were improved. According to the original plans, the Crusader's combat weight was 60 tons. In this regard, heavy US transport aircraft could carry only one machine. Reducing the mass by one and a half times led to positive consequences: military transport aircraft were able to transport two self-propelled guns at the same time.
Self-propelled failure
In mid-1999, a prototype of a transport vehicle for the future self-propelled gun was brought into testing. The XM2001 prototype appeared a few months later. For the next two years, the US Army and contractor companies were engaged in testing, fine-tuning and testing new equipment. Over time, it turned out that the Crusader project has obvious advantages, but at the same time it is not without the most serious problems. From some points of view, the resulting self-propelled gun was interesting for the army, from others it turned out to be not the most successful.
XM2001 on trial. Photo Military-today.com
Despite the presence of certain problems of various kinds, the XM2001 self-propelled guns and the XM2002 ammunition transporter coped with the tasks. Based on the results of fine-tuning, all their main parameters were brought to the design level. The technique moved at a given speed along roads and rough terrain, overcame obstacles, etc. When firing, the possibility of hitting targets at a distance of over 40 km was confirmed. The automatic loader provided a high rate of fire.
However, already during the tests over the AFAS / XM2001 program, clouds began to gather. The Pentagon saw that the technique was showing good results, but it still needed to continue fine-tuning. At the same time, the program turned out to be too expensive to be implemented on the planned scale. So, initially it was supposed to purchase up to 800 self-propelled guns, but later the increase in their cost led to a reduction in plans to 480 units, not counting transport vehicles. For their purchase, $ 11 billion should have been allocated - about 23 million for the car.
A proposal to allocate 11 billion for the purchase of new equipment appeared in 2002. Almost simultaneously with him, an additional $ 475 million was added to the draft budget for the next year to complete the development of the "Crusader". At the same time, the project provided for an increase in spending on other programs, as a result of which the budget could grow by almost 50 billion in comparison with last year.
Prototype XM2001 in storage. Photo The Carouselambra Kid / Flickr.com
The military had to literally knock out funding for a number of promising programs, which caused natural criticism from Congress. As a result, in the spring of 2002, the Pentagon management came to the conclusion that it was necessary to revise the plans and reduce the estimated costs. It was proposed to save at the expense of promising projects with an ambiguous future. Analysts had to examine a range of relevant programs from all areas and determine whether they met expectations and costs.
An interesting fact is that US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld harshly criticized the Crusader project and called for it to be abandoned. At the same time, some congressmen stood up for the program and tried to defend it, including with the help of "agents of influence" in the Pentagon. Nevertheless, the "conspiracy" was revealed, which became the reason for another scandal.
By the time the defense budget was formed for the next fiscal year 2003, the further fate of the XM2001 project had been determined. The proposed self-propelled artillery unit still did not show all the desired characteristics, but at the same time a lot of money had already been spent on it, and further work and mass production required new costs. This state of affairs did not suit the Pentagon and the country's leadership, as a result of which the financing of the "Crusader" was no longer provided for in the new draft military budget. All work was stopped in 2002 and has not been resumed.
The second life of the project?
Currently, the US Army and Defense Industry is implementing a project to upgrade the existing M109A6 ACS to the "A7" state. This allows you to extend the service life of the equipment, as well as to improve its basic fighting qualities. Nevertheless, we are talking only about the restructuring of existing combat vehicles that have managed to develop a significant part of the resource. Thus, in the medium term, even the "newest" M109A7 will have to be written off and replaced with some new model.
XM2002 ammunition transporter. Photo Military-today.com
In the recent past, the Pentagon and industry have developed the Future Combat Systems and Ground Combat Vehicle families of promising technology. Among other things, these projects provided for the creation of new self-propelled artillery installations that have advantages over existing Paladin machines. Various ideas and solutions were proposed, but most of them never left the drawings. Both programs were closed and failed to influence the rearmament of the army. At the same time, the developments in FCS and GCV can be used in projects of the future.
During a recent discussion of American ground artillery, experts recalled the closed project XM2001 Crusader and considered its prospects in modern conditions. Obviously, the Pentagon will not resume a long-closed project and try to bring it in line with expectations. Nevertheless, some of the solutions of this project may find application in the creation of completely new ACS. However, it is not yet completely clear whether these samples will appear at least in the medium term.
As you can see, the United States has certain problems in the field of self-propelled artillery. The available samples are inferior to foreign ones and are gradually developing their resource, but there is still no worthy replacement for them. Moreover, this replacement is not even expected at the moment. To replace the "Paladins" at different times, several samples of promising equipment were proposed, but none of them went beyond the range. Time will tell whether future self-propelled guns will be able to do this. But there is still a great risk that subsequent projects will repeat the fate of not the most successful XM2001, FCS or GCV.
