Rock Island Arsenal M119 105mm Towed Howitzer (1989)
The M119 was nothing more than an Americanized license-production version of the British L118/L119 105mm howitzer.
At its core, the M119 is a light-weight howitzer, primarily towed into position by a HUMMWV multipurpose utility vehicle or by way of air mobility systems such as a transport helicopter. Additionally, the M119 is cleared as an air droppable system from certain military aircraft - this including the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, the Boeing CH-47 Chinook twin-rotor helicopter and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport plane - its fall retarded by way of parachute. To handle the set up and firing of the M119, a standard crew of seven personnel is the norm.
The M119 was assigned to and tested with the 7th Infantry Division out of Fort Ord in Monterey Bay, California in1989. It was then adopted for service that year and has since been used by infantry units like the 173rd brigade, 101st & 82nd Airborne divisions, the 10th Mountain and the 25th Infantry divisions in the fire support role. The howitzer is currently seeing action today across Afghanistan and was already used to good measure in Iraq during the 2003 invasion.
1998 saw the Light Artillery System Improvement Program (LASIP) Block I initiated and incorporate improvements throughout the M119 design. This generated the new designation of M119A1 to coincide with the upgrade. Block II followed and completed all its own updates by 2004, resulting in the new designation of M119A2 being assigned. These particular systems were given a rollbar to reduce potential damage in air drops as well as a revised elevation gearbox, monitoring hardware and buffer. Radioactive tritium was removed from the fire control system as a protective measure. The M119A2 also features an improved sighting package made up of the M90A3 telescope and the M137A2 telescope.
The howitzer can provide direct and indirect heavy fire power at the cost of minimum weight, allowing for additional ammunition to be carried into action. It also provides a small, squat profile silhouette and - not needing a recoil pit - it requires less setup time resulting in faster firing of projectiles by the crew. The M119 has all the elements needed to support infantry and bring plunging fire down upon the enemy and his positions with elevations in range of -100 to +1244 mils with a low angle-of-fire available for close targets.
With its increased range and a rapid rate-of-fire equal to six rounds-per-minute (three rounds per minute in the sustained fire role), the M119 is the reason the US Army chose to retire the old M102 howitzer series from front line units and replace them. The relative "light" weight of just 4,520 lbs (with BII) makes it easy to get her into the fight. The primary tow vehicle for the howitzer is a special HUMMWV (model M1097), itself having a range of 200mi (321.8km), or by helicopter, increasing the deployment range of the M119 to 450miles (724.2km).
Along with firing the reliable 105mm shell, additional ammunition types are available (including all NATO-standard types):
The M314 is an illuminating star shell while the M60 is the standard White Phosphorous smoke cartridge. The M760 represents the HE (High Explosive) round and sports an unassisted range up to 14.5km. The M913 HERA (High-Explosive Rocket Assisted) shell sees a range of 19.5km. Rocket-assisted shells are utilized to obtain a slight increase in the overall firing range and several other forms are currently being tested for use in the M119 family.
The M119A1 was expected to end of its service life around fiscal year 2008-09. However, due to the US Army's current war plan, the M119A1/M119A2 are still deployed as of this writing (2012). As a result, the production contract of the M119 has been extended until 2013. The weapon has been manufactured by the Joint US/RO partnership made up of Rock Island Arsenal, Watervliet Arsenal, Seller Instruments and Royal Ordnance, UK. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Rock Island Arsenal M119
105mm Towed Howitzer
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Royal Ordnance, Nottingham, UK
Initial Year of Service: 1989
Production: 5,000
Focus Model: Rock Island Arsenal M119
Crew: 7
Overall Length: 20.73ft (6.32m)
Width: 5.84ft (1.78m)
Height: 7.25ft (2.21m)
Weight: 2.3 US Short Tons (2,050kg; 4,519lbs)
Powerplant: None. This is a towed artillery piece.
Maximum Speed: 0mph (0 km/h)
Maximum Range: 7 miles (12 km)
NBC Protection: None
Nightvision: None
Armament:
1 x 105mm barrel
Ammunition:
Dependent on ammunition carrier. Types include HE, illumination and smoke and may be rocket-assisted.
Variants:
M119 - Base Production Model fielded in 1989.
M119A1 - Improved M119 with Block I update; new low-temp recuperator; increased low-temp capability; increased brake diameter; improved repair functions; revised trail access cover; battery computer system.
M119A2 - Improved M119A1 with Block II update; improved sighting package; revised elevation gearbox; sans radioactive Tritium in fire control system; new buffer with revised seals; simplified monitoring hardware; rollbar for air drop protection.
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