Combat Ops

The story of the cannon – or the King of Battle – is one of glory and strength. It has been the “difference-maker” in the fight for freedom for countless generations. Cannons play a critical role in today’s fight. They serve as an integral part of the combined arms team and a critical component of the joint fires team. And, new cannon artillery capabilities will make the Army more lethal and efficient.

 Cannon artillery plays a vital role in today's fight…  

• Operation Iraqi Freedom - Initial Phase: Artillery from the 3rd Infantry Division, "destroyed 526 enemy vehicles, 67 enemy installations, and killed 2,754 enemy soldiers without a single U.S. soldier or piece of equipment lost to enemy artillery fire." 1 
• Operation Iraqi Freedom - Battle for Fallujah, Dec 2004: The Paladin howitzers were able to provide timely and accurate fires throughout the fight, delivering 925 rounds in mostly danger-close fires (less than 600 meters from friendly soldiers and often within 100-200 meters from friendly forces).
• "A big lesson learned [in taking Fallujah] is that even when responsive, Close Air Support, is not a substitute for artillery and mortars. It can be very effective, but it is not as responsive as our artillery and mortars by a long-shot." 2
• Operation Iraqi Freedom – A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 222nd Field Artillery of the Utah Army National Guard was deployed to Iraq from July 2005 to June 2006, during a three-and-a-half month period of their deployment “the battery processed 236 fire missions and fired 1,464 rounds in support of combat operations. Several enemy mortar teams were destroyed, and more than 15 insurgents were confirmed killed in action (KIA) from the battery’s fires.” 3 
• Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan – “Over 6,000 rounds were fired during the 10 day battle of Fallujah and over 7,000 rounds have been fired for operational purposes throughout the fight in Afghanistan.” 4 
• Afghanistan – U.S. troops from the New York-based 10th Mountain Division deployed to Afghanistan March 2006 and by September they had fired over 3,000 rounds. 5 

1-FA Journal, September - October 2003, and 3rd ID (Mechanized) Artillery Report
2-Army Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Regiment Infantry Fires Support Element Report
3-FA Journal, January - February 2007
4-TRADOC interview with Maj. Gen. Ralston, January 2007
5-Army Times, "Artillery Helps Penetrate Afghan Valley," Sept. 5, 2006 

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Cannon artillery is an integral part of ground force combined arms team and is a critical component of the joint fires team…

The new Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) have organic Fires Battalions containing 155mm cannon artillery for heavy mechanized units to include Stryker BCTs, or containing 105mm light cannon artillery for light infantry BCTs. The number of active duty Fires Battalions is being increased to match the increase in BCTs.

With the U.S. Army moving toward a new modular force, Field Artillery units have become “embedded with BCTs, which adds familiarity with field artillerymen [who are] in with maneuver folks and it heightens that relationship.” 6 

Marine Corps Regiment Combat Team - 2 (RCT2), fighting in An Nasiriyah, proved that cannon artillery is a dominating weapon in urban warfare.

• "A heavy wind and dust storm on March 25 prevented air force and helicopter support. The artillery, once again, proved to be the only all-weather continuous fire support asset for the RCT2."
• "On March 26, reliable reports indicated some 2,000 irregulars massing near a railroad station for a counterattack. The 1/10 (cannon artillery) promptly fired a battalion 10 rounds (total of 180 rounds of DPICM) on this target, breaking up the counterattack in one strike and instantly killing more than 200 enemy."
• "The commanding general of RCT2 credited the artillery with breaking the back of the enemy defending Nasiriyah."

The 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT), Raiders, 3rd Infantry Division deployed to Iraq in support of OIF III from January 2005 to January 2006 with the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery serving as their organic fires battalion. 

• “During OIF III Task Force (TF) 1-41 FA fired 5,860 rounds in support of operations throughout the 1st BCT’s battlespace, which was the size of Maryland.” 7 

In his report about the progress occurring in Afghanistan in February 2007, Gen. Barry McCaffrey (Ret.), in February 2007 wrote the following about the Afghan fighting force, emphasizing the need for artillery:

• “They lack deployable, modern mortars and light artillery. (This has been the absolute key to keeping U.S. Army combat units alive along the eastern frontier.)” 8 

*Quotes from Army Task Force 2nd Battalion, 2nd Regiment Infantry Fires Support Element Report.
6-TRADOC interview with Maj. Gen. Ralston, January 2007
7-FA Journal, July - August 2006
8-After Action Report, Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey (Ret), February 2007 - http://www.defensetech.org/archives/Afghan%20AAR%20%283%29.pdf 

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New cannon artillery capabilities will make the Army more lethal and efficient…

• Ongoing demonstrations of new cannon systems have proven that a modern, more transportable system can maneuver with greater agility and efficiency, while delivering more accurate and effective fires.
• The M982 GPS and Inertial Navigation Excalibur projectile makes every 155-mm cannon a precision weapon system out to a 40 km range. The Excalibur passed its final testing hurdle for fielding in March 2007 and several of the GPS artillery shells have already been sent to Kuwait for deployment in Iraq.
• Developmental High Explosive projectiles can provide a 40 percent increase in destructive effectiveness.
• Developmental smart fuzes will make our entire current inventory of projectiles into near-precision rounds.
• The impact of these four improvement programs, all to be delivered before 2010, will bring a monumental increase in cannon artillery effectiveness while reducing its logistics tail by an estimated 50 percent.

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