18th Airborne Corps covets fast-moving artillery guns.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.

The commander of the 18th Airborne Corps Artillery recently submitted a formal request to Army headquarters for a new truck-mounted 155 mm howitzer, claiming that the rowed guns in the current arsenal lack the mobility and range needed for today's conflicts.

Specifically, the 18th Airborne Corps wants the Army to purchase a battery of five Caesar artillery systems, for field testing and evaluation.

The Caesar is a 52-caliber 155 mm howitzer installed on a 7-ton Daimler-Benz 6x6 truck. It has a range of 42 km--compared to 30 km for the Army's current artillery guns-- and is C-130 transportable. Originally developed for the French Army, the Caesar caught the attention of U.S. Army artillery officers, who continue to operate Cold War-era weapons and are longing for a fast howitzer platform that can keep up with the combat maneuver force.

The 18th Airborne Corps Artillery signed off on an "operational needs statement for the Caesar field artillery system" on February 19. The operational needs document denotes the first step in the Army's protracted acquisition process. The needs statement now is being reviewed by the Army Forces Command and the Army deputy chief of staff for operations and plans. If both these organizations endorse the request, the document moves down to the Training and Doctrine Command, where Army weapon wish lists are turned into official "requirements" that can compete for funding in future budget cycles.

The 18th Airborne Corps Artillery, based in Fort Bragg, N.C., is a contingency force that employs towed howitzers as the primary means of cannon fire support. But towed howitzers, such as the M198 155 mm and its replacement, the M777 lightweight 155 mm, "are not able to match the tactical mobility of wheeled and tracked combat systems," said the operational needs document. "Future field artillery systems must be capable of keeping pace with the supported maneuver force."

The Army has a requirement for a medium-weight, highly deployable field artillery system "capable of providing direct and general support to any contingency or follow-on maneuver force," said the document. "The Caesar is one of a number of truck-mounted field artillery systems that can fill that need."

The operational needs statement said the Caesar can be employed individually in support of a special operation or as a battery. It can move from a hidden location to a firing position, launch six rounds and displace in less than three minutes. In Army...