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, the First Gulf War, and the Iraq War.

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.

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