Patent ID: 8011286

Claim:
A howitzer suitable for deployment on a ground plane, the howitzer comprising: i) a cannon comprising a) a barrel for firing a projectile, the barrel defining a barrel axis and having a muzzle towards the front end of the howitzer and a breech towards the back end of the howitzer; b) a cradle for holding the barrel at an azimuth and an elevation; ii) a bearing for varying the azimuth of the cannon; and iii) a linkage for varying the elevation of the bearing, the linkage further comprising: a pivot body into which the bearing is mounted, the pivot body rotating about a trunnion axis so as to vary the elevation of the bearing; a front leg; a first pivotable joint directly connecting the front leg to the pivot body on a side thereof; a back leg; and a second pivotable joint directly connecting the back leg to the pivot body on said side thereof.