U.S. Army Awards Contract to Validate Maneuvering 155mm Artillery Round
The Army awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems a contract last week under the Extended Range Artillery Projectile Program. The effort targets initial operational capability by fiscal 2030.
Defense NewsU.S. Army awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems a contract to validate a maneuvering 155mm artillery round designed to strike targets beyond the reach of conventional rounds. The contract, announced last week, is part of the Army’s Extended Range Artillery Projectile Program, or ERAP, which seeks to field a next-generation munition that can maintain precision in GPS-degraded or denied situations.
The Army is aiming to reach initial operational capability by fiscal 2030. A version of the projectile was tested at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, last year, successfully hitting targets more than 74 miles away after being fired from an M777 howitzer. Instead of traveling only along a predetermined path, maneuvering munitions can change course in-flight to be more precise.
The projectile is updated to travel farther while remaining compatible with existing artillery platforms. “Our projectile is engineered to provide extended range without rocket assist and remains compatible with legacy cannons and loaders. Its features include deployable wings and advanced redundant guidance systems,” Michael Rucker, vice president of GA-EMS Weapons Programs, said in the company’s release.
U.S. Navy tapped the company in late 2024 to continue developing the projectile for maritime use. ” The Army also requires that the munition have a non-GPS mode.
