M102 howitzer

The M102 is a light, towable 105 mm howitzer. It was used by the United States Army in the Vietnam War,^[2] the First Gulf War, and the Iraq War.^[3]

M102
The M102 howitzer firing
Type	Howitzer
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1964–present
Wars	Vietnam War Invasion of Grenada Gulf War Iraq War Lebanese Civil War Salvadoran Civil War
Production history
Designed	1962
Manufacturer	Rock Island Arsenal
Specifications
Mass	1,496 kg (3,298 lb)
Length	Travel: 6.40 m (21 ft)
Barrel length	32 calibres[1]
Width	Travel: 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Height	Travel: 1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)
Crew	8
Shell	105 × 372 mm R
Caliber	105 mm (4.1 in)
Action	Vertical sliding-wedge
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic
Carriage	Box trail
Elevation	−5° to +75°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	Maximum: 10 rpm Normal: 3 rpm
Effective firing range	11.5 km (7.1 miles)
Maximum firing range	15.1 km (9.4 miles) with rocket-assisted projectile

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.^[4]

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

•  Brazil 19
•  El Salvador 24
•  Jordan 50
•  Lebanon 18
•  Malaysia 40^[5]
•  Oman 36
•  Philippines 24
•  Saudi Arabia 140
•  Turkey
•  Thailand 12
•  United States – AC-130 gunship^[6]
•  Uruguay 15
•  Vietnam Captured from Vietnam War

Former operators

•  Khmer Republic
•  South Vietnam – unknown number used by the Republic of Vietnam Airborne Division