A rocket-assisted projectile ( RAP ) is a cannon , howitzer , mortar , or recoilless rifle round incorporating a rocket motor for independent propulsion. This gives the projectile greater speed and range than a non-assisted ballistic shell, which is propelled only by the gun's exploding charge. Some forms of rocket-assisted projectiles can be outfitted with a laser guide for greater accuracy.
17-505: The KH179 ("Korean howitzer 1 (first) 79") is a South Korean 155 mm towed howitzer of length 39 calibers , designed and developed by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces , and is now manufactured by Hyundai WIA . The KH179 is a towed howitzer developed and produced by Kia Precision Industry (now Hyundai WIA ) since 1983 for the purpose of replacing
34-670: A common caliber between the Royal Navy and the British Army . Despite superficially appearing to be inferior based on a simple comparison of round diameters, when firing conventional ammunition the smaller, 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun is comparable to the standard 155 mm (6.1 in) gun-howitzer of the British Army. The standard shell from a 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun has the same, if not better, range. Only by using rocket-assisted projectiles (RAPs) can most 155 mm (6.1 in) guns have comparable range to
51-526: A domestic production of shells. As of December 2022, the production rate was "in the thousands". The US declared its plans to increase the production to 90,000 per month, to reach 1,000,000 shells per year in 2025. Rheinmetall said it was ready to boost production to 500,000 per year. In summer 2023, the EU approved a plan that provides for the production of 650,000 large-calibre ammunition per year, and pledged to supply one million artillery shells to Ukraine over
68-411: A four-magnification panoramic aim mirror mounted on the left. The range is 18.1 km for normal rounds, 30 km for rocket-assisted rounds, and the firing rate is 2 rounds per minute for continuous shots, and the maximum firing rate is 4 rounds per minute. 155 mm 155 mm (6.1 in) is a NATO -standard artillery shell caliber that is used in many field guns , howitzers , and gun-howitzers . It
85-533: A minimum range of 30 kilometres (19 mi), nearly all member nations solved the problem with RAP rounds in their 155 mm (6.1-inch) artillery. The Belgian Army was the only NATO member army that did not require RAP, reaching the required range with a conventional round. The XM1113 RAP round replaced the M549A1 RAP round for the M777 howitzer and other 155 mm (6.1-inch) artillery after 2016. The new round had
102-466: A single caliber greatly simplifies the logistics burden. This has led to the obsolescence of larger caliber artillery shells such as the 175 and 203 mm (6.9 and 8.0 in). Some militaries continue to retain the smaller 105 mm (4.1 in) weapons for their light weight and greater portability. Russia and former Eastern Bloc countries tend to use 122, 130, and 152 mm (4.8, 5.1, and 6.0 in) artillery in similar roles. Since
119-672: Is defined in AOP-29 part 1 with reference to STANAG 4425. The 155 mm (6.1 in) caliber originated in France after the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) . A French artillery committee met on 2 February 1874 to discuss new models for French fortress and siege artillery, among which there was a weapon in the 14–16 cm (5.5–6.3 in) caliber range (later it became known as the De Bange 155 mm cannon ). After several meetings, on 16 April 1874
136-501: The South Korean military . The ammunition used in the KH179 is compatible with NATO 155 mm standard ammunition, but has significantly improved range and firepower. It is equipped with a direct/indirect aiming mirror, allowing both direct and indirect howitzer firing. Direct fire uses an L-type aiming mirror with 3.5 magnification and has an effective range of 1,500 m. Indirect shooting uses
153-544: The US Navy 's Advanced Gun System (AGS) also uses a 155 mm (6.1 in) caliber, it is not compatible with NATO-standard 155 mm (6.1 in) ammunition. Only one type of ammunition was ever developed and procurement was discontinued in 2016 due to its high cost, making the AGS unusable. Compatible with NATO projectiles: Unknown compatibility: As of February 2023 –March 2023, Ukraine was firing up to 10,000 artillery shells per day, with
170-618: The 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun and by doing so there is a reduction in the payload. This is because naval guns can be built much more strongly than land-based self-propelled gun-howitzers, and have much longer barrels in relation to caliber (for example the 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun has a barrel length of 55 calibers , while the standard AS-90 self-propelled gun has a barrel length of 39 calibers). This allows naval guns to fire heavier shells in comparison to shell diameter and to use larger propellant charges in relation to shell weight, leading to greater projectile velocities. Even without active cooling,
187-582: The German Krupp K5 railway gun of World War 2 used rocket-assisted projectiles in the later stages of the war, although it also used conventional artillery projectiles. The North Korean M-1978 / M-1989 Koksan 170 mm (6.7-inch) self-propelled gun can use rocket-assisted projectiles to achieve a range of around 60 kilometres (37 mi); at one time this was the world's longest-range tube field artillery piece. When NATO standards required member armies to have corps-level artillery that could fire to
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#1732851867561204-403: The U.S. M114A2 towed howitzer and enhancing artillery firepower. The KH179 makes use of lightweight components (CN79 barrel , RM79 recoil buffer , and CG79 mount ) and can be air-transported by CH-47 chinook helicopter and C-130 transport aircraft. In addition, performance improvements were made in range, reliability, and maintenance compared to conventional M114A2 howitzers operated by
221-552: The average monthly rate of 90,000–110,000 of 155 mm shells. In March 2023, the Ukrainian defense minister asked allies for 250,000 of such shells per month. Before the start of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022), the United States produced 14,400 shells per month. As of March 2023 , the rate has increased to 20,000 per month. Germany's Rheinmetall was producing 60,000–70,000 per year in 2022. Ukraine has
238-427: The committee settled on the 155 mm (6.1 in) caliber (in the subsequent program-letter of the committee, dating from 21 April 1874, the caliber was for the first time expressed as 155 mm (6.1 in)). Since the early 21st century, most NATO armies have adopted 155 mm (6.1 in) weapons as an all-purpose standard. They are seen as striking a good compromise between range and power, while using just
255-571: The end of World War II , the 155 mm (6.1 in) caliber has not found any use among naval forces despite its ubiquity on land with most NATO and aligned navies using 76 mm (3.0 in), 100 mm (3.9 in), 114 mm (4.5 in), or 127 mm (5.0 in) guns on modern warships. At one point the British Ministry of Defence studied "up-gunning" the Royal Navy 's 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval guns to give increased firepower and
272-458: The heavier naval gun barrels allow a faster sustained rate of fire than field guns, and this is exploited with an autoloading system with a capacity of several hundred rounds. The 155 mm (6.1 in) is better than the 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval gun for firing cannon-launched guided projectiles (CLGP) as the lower velocity of the 155 mm (6.1 in) shell makes it much easier for the projectiles' internal electronic guidance systems to survive being fired. While
289-451: The next 12 months. Rocket-assisted projectile The German Sturmtiger (1944) used a 380 mm (14.9-inch) Rocket Propelled Round as its main projectile. These rounds were high explosive shells or shaped charges with a maximum range of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi). The gun first accelerated the projectile to 45 m/s (150 ft/s), the 40 kg (88 lb) rocket charge then boosted this to about 250 m/s (820 ft/s). Also
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