The US is equipping the M777A2 howitzer with hypervelocity projectiles.

Information about the new ammunition for the M777A2 was revealed by Brigadier General Stephen Maranian during his testimony before the US Congress on March 19th. The US Department of Defense is currently planning to develop a hypervelocity round capable of easily reaching Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound) for the M777A2 howitzer.

Along with developing the new hypervelocity ammunition, the US also decided to upgrade all existing M777A2 units in its military by chrome plating them.

Chrome plating the gun barrel will increase its service life by up to 50% and make it easier to clean after firing. Importantly, it helps prevent unfortunate accidents caused by the gun barrel during firing.

The American M777A2 howitzer.

According to the plan, the first batch of chrome-plated M777A2 cannon barrels will be delivered to combat units in 2019, including those in Syria and Iraq. A representative from Watervliet Arsenal stated that this is only a trial shipment, and in the future, the M777A2 cannon with chrome-plated barrels will be fully deployed in the US military.

The M777A2 is currently deployed by the US in Iraq and Syria to attack terrorist forces. In Syria, in particular, the US used Excalibur smart ammunition with this super-cannon to attack ISIS terrorists in Raqqa.

To carry out the attack in late 2017, the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) used M777A2 Howitzers to shell ISIS front lines in the rural areas of Raqqa province, supporting the SDF forces in their offensive against ISIS on the battlefield.

Although no specific figures were given, according to the MEU, all terrorist targets were destroyed with near-perfect accuracy, including fortified positions, military vehicles, and weapons. In addition, the attack resulted in the deaths of a large number of ISIS fighters.

The Excalibur projectile uses a GPS guidance system to provide high accuracy and effectiveness from the first shot in any environment. Using Excalibur will save the US military significant time, cost, and logistical resources compared to using conventional artillery shells.

Calculations show that it would take between 10 and 50 conventional artillery shells to achieve the same result as one Excalibur shell. According to the manufacturer, the Excalibur shell can accurately strike any target within a 50km range with a circular error probability (CEP) of only about 4m.

Although Excalibur is the longest-range artillery round in the current US arsenal, it is also capable of operating in confined spaces such as cities or mountainous areas, attacking high-altitude targets, and detecting and destroying moving targets, such as personal vehicles.

This is why the US believes that the Excalibur and M777A2 combination will be very effective in the fight against terrorism, especially in urban environments in Iraq and Syria.