NationStates Jolt Archive

Although we are a new nation, we have within our borders, engineers who are designing a new breed of medium-long range artillery weapons. These guns are capable of firing all standard 155mm shells equiped with shrapnel, biological, and high explosive tips.

This weapon has fully automatic GPS aiming systems, as well as the ability to be either towed, or broken down and carried by as few as 7 soldiers. We also plan to produce an air droppable version with a smaller barrel and range.

Currently, we require investments to produce and test the new artillery. Nations that do invest money into the program are licensed the blueprints for a minimum of 5 million in gold standard. This allows the nation to produce and sell any number of weapons. Currently we have 5 working prototypes which are available for demonstration.

Picture
http://www.stardestroyer.net/Empire/Tech/Ground/105mm.jpg

Thank You

Crimson Court High Command

CSJMI remains extremely skeptical of these claims, which suggest a weapon weighing, in totality, less than 350 kg* (carried by 7 soldiers), when even with all the possible weight reductions made, contemporary 155mm weapons are easily 10 times that or more. We find it hard to believe that any advance can result in a 90% drop in the weight of a unit, without seriously hampering its effectiveness. Such things just don't happen. Indeed, even lightweight 105 & 122mm weapons usually weigh in at 1400 kg or more.




*50 kg (110+ lbs) would be the upper end of what an infantryman could carry. This is actually over twice the recommended combat load, but since the claim mentioned nothing of how well the troops could handle the loads, and it's a nice easy reference, we use this.

The breakable version of the gun, has no chasis, essentialy a barrel on a stand. Perhaps though, our estimate of 7 soldiers is to few, we are seeking ways of dropping weight from the gun. The chassis version cn be broken down, but would be carried by truck or APC.

We are revising our designs, our prototypes currently cannot be broken down.

Why don't you just puts wheels on it, and then drag it behind the APC or truck so you could put other stuff inside?




Yes, I'm being sarcastic

There are two versions, one with a chassis (wheels) and one that can be broken down. The latter is also built to accompny airbourne divisions.

Even with the carriage removed the M777A1 weighs 2414 kg, which would require a full platoon just to carry the gun system (remember, you not only need the barrel, but the loading system, recoil system, mount, fire control, etc). You'd also then need 1 man for each shell to be carried, and additional men for the charges. In all, some 44 men would be needed to carry the materials for a 1-minute barrage at a 5 rpm burst rate, and these individuals would all be carrying nothing else, needing persoanl supplies and equipement to be provided for by others. We would not see any value in this, even for airborne troops.


A 105mm gun, on the other hand, might be a bit more doable. With that, those same 44 men could carry a gun with ammunition and charges for a 2-minute bombardment (12 shells), as well as (on average) a full personnal load each. Still, for anything beyond a 2-minute bombardment, things get dicey.

This is why light airborne forces usually rely on 81/82mm mortars. They only need two men to carry, and additional men can carry up to 16 shells each (8 with a standard personal load). Though not as long ranged or powreful, many such weapons can be fired at burst rates exceeding 30 rounds per minute, and the range is sufficient for the role. One would be extremely hard pressed to find a heavier weapon that can be effectively carried, along with necessary logistics, by light infantrymen.



Note that a standard personal load does not include weapons such as rifles, grenades, pistols, or ammunition for such small arms. Just essential things like food and shelter-related supplies.

What about a 5" Mortar?
it could wiegh as little as claimed in first post, and with guided rocket shells like swingfire or copperhead designs, could posses vey good range and anti-tank capability while amassing very effective conventional shell types and a useful load of not so conventional weapons.

Now the question is:
Smoothbore or rifled,or smoothbore with rifle barrel extensoin*?

*design currently only employed by PROHT.

A 120mm mortar is a little better than a 105mm howitzer. The weapon has only about 1/5 the total weight, though I'd want some of the components that are normally a single piece to be broken down (something needed in all of these except the 82/81mm mortar), it could be carried by maybe 6 or 7 men over significant distances. However, it still can have no more than 2 rounds carried per man, with one being more likely. The result is that it's still stuck with too much of a logistical tail for light infantry, needing at least 15-20 men to carry enough for a single minute's firing. A 5" (127mm) mortar would a little heavier (and is not an international standard, so I'd recommend against it), and might limit the rounds carried to 1 per man by default, so you'd probably need 20-24 men to carry enough for one minute's burst firing.

Bore diameters a measured differently,
inner diameter = 120 mm
outer groove (trough) diameter = 127 mm

this is how the .22 Hornet became the .223, groves were .003 of an inch, and to easier tell the difference between the .22 with a "plinking" cartridge, and the .22 with the bottle necked .308 rifle cartridge
7.65 mm, .308 and .30 are other examples.
also a 5.56 mm 'is not' .223 inch yet the US Army claims they are identical enough for their reasoning.

Plus, when measuring in inches, there is leeway.

the 76mm HVAT gun of WW2 was actually 75mm\3inch but was called such to prevent confusion. Britian for the longest time used poundage to reffer to gun sizes, and even then there were multiple guns of te same "wieght".
So for simplicity's sake:
3" is 70 to 85 mm
4.2" is 105 mm
5" is approx 120 to 130 mm
6" is 150 to 160 mm
8" is just plain BIG
and with anything over that,
to bother arguing
with their gunboat diplomacy
would be insane.