M102 howitzer

The M102 is a light, towable 105 mm howitzer. It was used by the United States Army in the Vietnam War, the First Gulf War, and the Iraq War.

 Overview 
The M102 105 mm howitzer is used in helicopter, attack plane, and light infantry operations. The weapon carriage is lightweight welded aluminum. It is mounted on a variable recoil mechanism. The weapon is manually loaded and positioned. It can be towed by a 2-ton truck or High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), which can be transported by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, or can be dropped by parachute with airborne units. Since 1964, the Army acquired 1,150 M102 towed howitzers. The weapon is being replaced by the M119-series 105 mm howitzer.
link=//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/M102_Howitzer_A1206_Tai_Iraq_2004.JPG/220px-M102_Howitzer_A1206_Tai_Iraq_2004.JPG|left|thumb|102 Howitzer belonging to Battery A, 1st Battalion, 206th Field Artillery, 39th Brigade Combat Team, in position at Camp Taji, Iraq 29 May 2004

 Characteristics 
 Caliber: 105 mm (4.13 in)
 Length: 21.8 feet (6.4 m)
 Barrel Length: 32 calibres
 Width: 6.4 feet (2 m)
 Height: 5.2 feet (1.6 m)
 Weight: 1.5 tons (1.4 t)
 Crew: 8
 Rate of fire: 10 rounds per minute maximum, 3 rounds per minute sustained
 Range: 11,500 m (7.1 miles), 15,100 m (9.4 miles) with rocket-assisted projectile

 Operators 
  19
  24
  50
  18
  40
  36
  24
  140

  12
  – AC-130 gunship
  15
  Captured from Vietnam War

 Former operators 

  – unknown number used by the Republic of Vietnam Airborne Division

 References 

 Other websites 
 The Army Fact File


Category:Cold War
Category:Artillery