M777 howitzer

The M777 howitzer is a British towed 155 mm artillery piece in the howitzer class. It is used by the ground forces of Australia, Canada, Colombia, India, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and the United States. It was first used in combat during the War in Afghanistan.

The M777 is manufactured by BAE Systems' Global Combat Systems division. Prime contract management is based in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, England, as well as manufacture and assembly of the titanium structures and associated recoil components. Final integration and testing of the weapon is undertaken at BAE's facility in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, US. Depending on the year, contract and systems package, the M777 has been exported with individual unit costs from US$2.025 million (in 2008) to $3.738 million (in 2017).

The M777 began in 1987 as the Ultralight Field Howitzer (UFH), developed by Vickers' Armaments Division in Barrow-in-Furness, UK. Upon taking over responsibility for the weapon, BAE "Americanized" to a large degree the construction and assembly through its US-based BAE Systems Land and Armaments group. The M777 now uses about 70% US-built parts, including the gun barrel (designated M776), which is manufactured at the Watervliet Arsenal, New York, US.^{[failed verification]}

BAE US subcontractors and their related components/activity as planned in 2001:

With a weight of 4.2 t (4.1 long tons; 4.6 short tons), the M777 is 41% lighter than the 7.154 t (7.041 long tons; 7.886 short tons) M198 howitzer it replaces. Much of the weight reduction is due to the extensive use of titanium. The gun barrel serves as the towing bar, with the connecting ring forged as a projection of the muzzle brake. The M777 can be transported by helicopter sling-load, transport aircraft such as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules or C-5 Galaxy, or towed by air-braked vehicles with a 2½-ton or greater payload capacity, such as the FMTV and MTVR medium tactical vehicles. The minimum gun crew required is five, compared to a previous nine. The normal crew is eight. With a minimal emergency crew, the rate of fire is decreased. It can be fired by a crew of only three if absolutely necessary.

The M777A1 and M777A2 use a digital fire-control system similar to that found on self-propelled howitzers such as the M109A6 Paladin to provide navigation, pointing and self-location, allowing it to be put into action quickly.

The Canadian M777 in conjunction with the traditional "glass and iron sights/mounts" uses a digital fire control system called the Digital Gun Management System (DGMS) produced by Leonardo MW with components of the Indirect Fire Control Software Suite (IFCSS) built by the Firepower team in the Canadian Army Land Software Engineering Centre. The Leonardo MW portion of the system, known as LINAPS, had been proven previously through earlier use on the British Army 105 mm L118 Light Gun.

The M777A2 may be combined with the M982 Excalibur 155 mm GPS-guided munition, which allows accurate fire at a range of up to 40 km (25 mi). This almost doubles the area covered by a single battery to about 1,250 km² (480 sq mi). Testing at the Yuma Proving Ground by the US Army placed 13 of 14 Excalibur rounds, fired from up to 24 kilometres (15 mi), within 10 m (33 ft) of their target, suggesting a circular error probable of 5 m (16 ft).