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1 [1] (December 6, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/governu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congres&on I Research Service Informing the Iegishtive debate since 1914 Updated December 6, 2024 The Army's Self-Propelled Howitzer Modernization (SPH-M) Effort ackground The Army's current self-propelled artillery system, the M- 109 Paladin, first entered service in the 1960s and has been upgraded numerous times. The Army has two types of artillery: self-propelled, a howitzer mounted on a tracked or wheeled vehicle, or towed, a howitzer towed by a vehicle and then dismounted to fire. In 1994, the Army began to develop the Crusader, an advanced self-propelled 155- millimeter (mm) howitzer and an accompanying resupply vehicle. The Crusader was canceled in May 2002 when then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated that future enemy threats did not require the Crusader and that the Department of Defense wanted instead to invest in other emergent technologies. The Army's second attempt to develop a new self-propelled artillery system, the Non- Line-of-Sight Cannon (NLOS-C), was to be developed as part of the Army's Future Combat System (FCS) program, which started in 1999 and was cancelled in 2009 when then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates restructured the program and cancelled its associated vehicles. The third attempt for a new system was the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) program (see Figure 1). Figure I. ERCA Prototype Source: U.S. Army, ERCA Autoloader is being tested tor first time at YUMA Proving Ground, August 15, 2019. The ERCA program started in 2018 and reportedly was intended to extend the range of artillery fire from 30 kilometers to 70 kilometers (43.5 miles). This would have given the Army a significant advantage on the battlefield. Unfortunately, the new design, which featured a 30-foot gun tube mounted on a Paladin M109 chassis, experienced problems during live- fire testing. These issues prevented the ERCA from reaching its projected range and forced the Army to abandon the project. Reportedly, the major testing issue was excessive wear on the gun tube after firing a relatively low number of rounds. The Army discontinued the ERCA program in April 2024. The Army's Self-Propelled Howitzer Modernization (SPH-M) Effort The SPH-M effort was previously known as the Next Generation Howitzer (NGH) Program. The SPH-M Effort replaces the ERCA program and is the fourth attempt to develop a new self-propelled howitzer. In the aftermath of the ERCA cancellation, the Army initiated a new conventional fires study in 2023 to determine the way ahead for artillery modernization. The study was completed in March 2024 and reportedly determined the service should focus on more autonomous artillery systems with greater range and improved mobility. SPH-M Requirements According to Army FY2025 budget documents, The Next-Generation Howitzer (NGH) will provide highly mobile, survivable, versatile, transportable, longer range fire support under a broad set of challenging operational conditions against current and emerging, small to large scale threats through 2040 and beyond. NGH reduces emplacement and displacement times, provides increased crew survivability and better cross-country mobility, adds overall effectiveness, and affords improved fire support capability for field artillery formations well beyond what towed howitzer systems can provide. SPH-M Program Activities The Army reportedly conducted a number of successful tests with the ERCA before cancelling the program; those past testing activities are to inform the SPH-M program. For example, in 2022, ERCA hit a target at 70 kilometers (43 miles) with an M-982 Excalibur extended-range guided artillery shell. On August 28, 2024, the Army issued a request for information (RFI) to industry to identify and preliminarily review the maturity of potentially offered self-propelled howitzer systems. The U.S. Government (USG) is interested in systems that have high maturity and minimize or eliminate development time. Additionally, the USG is interested in understanding the possible future modernization options for those systems. Any information received in response to this survey will be used by the USG to assess the viability of