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NLOS cannon fires 1,000th test round

By Maj. Desiree Wineland
April 22, 2005

YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz. (Army News Service, April 22, 2005) -- The Army’s newest self-propelled artillery system fired its 1,000th test round on April 14, capping many months of testing that began at Yuma Proving Ground in August 2003.

The Non-Line of Site cannon is a one-of-a-kind artillery system, capable of firing a round every 10 seconds and maintaining a sustained rate of six rounds per minute at ranges of nearly 15 miles.

The NLOS cannon was designed to move rapidly, stop quickly and deliver lethal fire in near-record time. The aluminum-armored vehicle has a diesel engine that provides power to a hybrid-electric drive that propels two extremely quiet 18-inch band tracks. With a two-man crew, the NLOS cannon features an automatic ammunition-handling system and is being designed to easily fit inside the cargo bay of a C-130 aircraft. The NLOS will be more fuel efficient than existing self-propelled artillery systems, according to officials who estimate perhaps as much as 30 percent more.

Manual tasks -- such as having to manually handle projectiles and powder charges, and yank a rope lanyard to fire each round -- have become automated. In the NLOS cannon this entire process is completed by using an automated ammunition handling system which includes a laser igniter, robotics, all-electric drives, networking, and much more. It’s a more efficient, faster and less labor-intensive system, according to officials.

The NLOS is also a much lighter vehicle; weighing in at 23 tons in its Full Combat Configuration, compared to the Crusader, which weighed in over 40 tons. For a light vehicle, it packs a punch.

As a demonstrator, officials said the NLOS shows great promise as a key component of the 21st century’s Future Combat System, or FCS.

“This is the lead system in manned ground vehicles for the Future Combat System,” said Maj. Darby McNulty, assistant product manager for the NLOS cannon and mortar. “It will be one of eight FCS variants across the combat vehicle family, but all will use the same chassis.”

An actual prototype is scheduled to arrive at Yuma proving ground in the summer of 2007, with an operational capability two years later.

As America’s longest overland artillery range, Yuma Proving Ground sees a great deal of firing activity throughout the year, hosting both U.S. weapon systems and those from friendly foreign nations. McNulty said the testing capabilities of the proving ground closely matched what needed to be with the NLOS cannon.

“We get fantastic testing support here and we have a close working relationship with all the organizations involved – the Army program management office, United Defense and the proving ground,” McNulty said.

The NLOS cannon promises to be a fixture at the proving ground for many years as it evolves and matures into an operational combat system, McNulty said. For now, 100-pound projectiles fired by the NLOS cannon demonstrator will continue to fly through the clear desert skies of southwest Arizona.