The M795 is a 155mm HE projectile that has longer range and greater efficiency than the M107. It is used for conventional fire support for harassment and interdiction fires, fragmentation, mining and blast effect. The M795 is made of high fragmentation (HF1) steel and uses a welded rather than a swaged rotating band that encircles the body close to the base. For storage and transport, an energy absorbing lift plug is threaded into the nose cavity.
The M795 is a 155mm high fragmentation steel (HF1) body projectile filled with 23.8 lb of TNT and weighing approximately 103 pounds. The high fragmentation steel body is encircled by a gilding metal rotating band making it compatible with 3W through 8S (M3A1 through M203A1) zone propelling charges across all current 155mm howitzers. The projectile is packaged on a metal pallet with a shock attenuating lifting plug and flexible rotating band cover. The M795 projectile is ballistically similar to the M483A1 family of cargo projectiles and may be used as a registration round for the M483A1 family. The M795 projectile provides an increased effectiveness against major ground force threats at greater ranges for anti-personnel and anti-materiel targets when compared to the current M107 projectile.
This program is an effort to support the Program Executive Office for Field Artillery Systems for production of the M795 projectile. The Army has selected the M795 projectile to eventually replace the standard M107 projectile. The M795 projectile was chosen because it provides an increase in lethality as well as an increase in range, while utilizing a conventional High Explosive Fill.
On February 7, 1996 Chamberlain Manufacturing Corporation, Scranton Division, Scranton, Pennsylvania, was awarded an $18,355,589 increment as part of a $36,600,000 (projected value, includes one option) fixed price contract for 79,468 M795 projectile metal parts. Work will be performed in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by November 30, 1998. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were 3 bids solicited on September 22, 1995, and 3 bids received. The contracting activity is the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey (DAAE30-96-C-0020).
On September 30, 1996 Chamberlain Manufacturing Corporation, Scranton, Pa., was awarded a $12,257,197 modification to a $48,811,844 firm fixed price contract for 57,356 each 155mm HE, M795 projectile metal parts. Work will be performed in Scranton, Pa., and is expected to be completed by October 30, 1999. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a sole source contract initiated on June 4, 1996. The contracting activity is the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. (DAAE30-96-C-0020).
On April 24, 1998 Chamberlain Manufacturing Corp., Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, Scranton, Pa., was awarded a $20,600,074 firm-fixed-price contract for 85,304 Projectile Metal Parts (155 mm, HE, M795); 85,304 Lift Plugs; 85,304 Gaskets; 85,304 Flexible Rotating Band Covers, and 10,663 Metal Pallets. Work will be performed in Scranton, Pa. (90%) and Rock Island, Ill.
On 21 January 1999 Chamberlain Manufacturing Corp., Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, Scranton, PA, was awarded $11,931,727 (base year total) as part of a $27,182,227 (total if all options are exercised) firm-fixed-price supply contract for 57,580 155 mm, high explosive M795 projectile metal parts and 57,580 flexible rotating band covers. Work will be performed in Scranton, Pa., and was expected to be completed by June 30, 2002. There were two bids solicited on July 14, 1998, and two bids were received. The contracting activity is the US Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.
On August 24, 2001 Chamberlain Manufacturing Corp., Scranton, Pa., was awarded a $6,849,142 modification to firm-fixed-price contract DAAE30-99-C-1041 for 33,910 metal parts projectiles (M795). Work will be performed in Scranton, Pa., and completion is expected by Nov. 30, 2002. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were six bids solicited on July 14, 1999, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is the contracting activity.
On September 4, 2003 Chamberlain Manufacturing Corp., Scranton, Pa., was awarded on Aug. 28, 2003, a $17,841,855 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for partial fiscal year 2003 metal parts option for the M795 projectile. Work will be performed in Scranton, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were 17 bids solicited on Jan. 31, 2003, and one bid was received. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Dover, N.J., is the contracting activity (DAAE30-03-C-1114).
On August 13, 1996 Mason & Hanger - Silas Mason Company, Incorporated, Middletown, Iowa, was awarded an $18,511,340 modification to a firm fixed price contract to load, assemble and package 79,468 M795 high explosive projectiles. Work will be performed in Middletown, Iowa, and is expected to be completed by September 31, 1998. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were five bids solicited on October 11, 1995, and one bid was received. The contracting activity is the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey (DAAE30-96-C-0013).
On April 14, 1998 Mason & Hanger-Silas Mason Co. Inc., Middletown, Iowa, was awarded an $11,788,558 firm-fixed-price contract to load, assemble, and pack 84,210 high explosive M795 (155 mm) projectiles. Work will be performed at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, Middletown, Iowa, and is expected to be completed by March 25, 2001. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
There were three bids solicited on Sept. 25, 1997, and one bid was received. The contracting activity is the U.S. Army Tank-automotive & Armaments Command, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. (DAAE30-98-C-1038).
Day & Zimmerman, Parsons, Kan., was awarded on Nov. 26, 2003, a $6,145,159 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for load, assembly and packing of the M795. Work will be performed in Parsons, Kan., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There were six bids solicited on Feb. 14, 2003, and three bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., is the contracting activity (DAAE30-03-C-1166).
M107 M795 Weight (lbs.) 95 103 Payload (lbs.) 15 23.8 Paladin Range (Km) 17.5 22.5 Crusader Range (Km) Not Compatible 26 to 28.5.
Course Correcting Fuze (CCF)
In mid-2005 United Defense Industries demonstrated a cost-effective system to improve cannon artillery accuracy with the successful firing of inert M795 155-mm cannon projectiles equipped with a two-directional Course Correcting Fuze (CCF). United Defense has developed this new system with teammates Bofors Defence, Rockwell Collins and BT Fuze Products.
The CCF is a revolutionary, GPS-based innovation that dramatically improves the effectiveness of existing cannon artillery ammunition and provides near-precision accuracy that is critical in combat environments. It can be employed on all types of U.S. 155-mm and 105-mm projectiles in the U.S. Field Artillery inventory, and is ready for a fast track full scale development and early fielding.
United Defense successfully fired M795 rounds equipped with the CCF from a M109A6 Paladin to ranges of 14.5 kilometers at Yuma Proving Ground. Preliminary analysis from the demonstration confirmed United Defense's laboratory analysis and the projectiles equipped with the CCF achieved a precision error of less than 50 meters - three times more accurate than the control rounds.
Urban conflict in Iraq re-validated the need for accurate and responsive cannon fired artillery. This successful CCF demonstration proves an affordable solution for dramatically improving the accuracy of cannons has arrived and can be quickly fielded. CCF does for cannon artillery what JDAM did for air delivered munitions - making existing iron projectiles 'smart'.
The CCF makes projectiles more accurate by integrating G-hardened, military GPS with proven flight control technology. Before a CCF-equipped round is fired, the target's GPS coordinates are programmed into the fuze. After the round is fired, the CCF guides the projectile to the target by deploying three different types of brakes (deployable fins) that adjust the projectile's range and deflection. During the projectile's flight, satellites communicate with the fuze to ensure the brakes deploy at the right time and continually adjust the projectile's trajectory to guide the round to its intended target.
United Defense's successful demonstration of the two-directional CCF prototype in a gun-fired environment was an industry first and it placed the system at Technology Readiness Level 6.
M795E1 Extended Range
Talley Defense Systems, Inc., has been selected for the development and fabrication of the upgraded M795E1 Propellant Grain and Igniter components. As the Army’s M864 Base Burner Assembly development and production source, Talley delivered nearly one million production base burner assemblies.
An extended range version of the M795 projectile is desirable. Maximum range shall be between 26.5km (threshold) and 28.5km (objective), when fired from the M198 weapon system (39 caliber tube) with the M203A1 propelling charge. The maximum range when fired from a Crusader type system (52 caliber tube) shall be 34km (threshold) to 36km (objective). Extending the range of the M795 HE projectile provides the ability to engage at an even greater distances and provides for a munitions which is compatible with current and developmental delivery systems and their associated propellants.
The US Army has identified a need to provide extended range 155mm high explosive (HE) projectiles for both current and future artillery systems. Leveraging advanced ballistic design technology from two key stockpile projectiles, the 155mm M795E1 Extended Range High Explosive (HE) Base Burner Projectile will extend maximum range capability for the delivery of enhanced HE payload.
Using the production M795 HE Projectile as a baseline, designers began optimizing ballistic configurations and incorporating an improved drag reduction system, based on the successful 155mm M864 Extended Range DPICM Base Burner Projectile.
Designated the M795E1, this projectile will provide a significantly larger high explosive, high fragmentation warhead and improved lethality over the aging M549A1 HE Rocket Assisted Projectile, and will maintain an extended range capability to counter the longer range artillery threat of potential adversaries.
Although the current M795 offers extended range over the old M107 (22.5 km vs. 17.5 km), it falls short of the Army's other extended range projectiles (28-30 km range). The currently approved M795 Operational Requirement Document (ORD) establishes the need for an extended range version of the M795 to support anticipated warfighting scenarios.
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