US Army cancels development of long-range gun

The United States stops work on the 58-calibre Extended Range Artillery (ERCA) prototype.

Here's What We Know

Launched in 2018, the ERCA initiative envisaged the installation of a 30-foot-long .58 calibre gun barrel on the Paladin M109 self-propelled howitzer for 155mm rounds. The aim was to create a weapon with a range of up to 70 kilometres.

ERCA was among 24 new systems that were to enter service by the end of 2023. However, "technical problems" prevented the goal from being achieved.

Doug Bush, the Army's chief acquisition officer, explained that although they had created a prototype last year, it was not successful enough to begin production. It is also known that the army predicted back in June 2023 that the programme would not achieve the desired result due to engineering problems.

Source: Defence News