Tandem Wheel Attachment to Improve M198 Howitzer Mobility

摘要

An M198 wheel attachment has been designed and fabricated to meet the increasedrequirement for responsiveness and survivability demanded by future Ml98 combat missions. The wheel is composed of a dual pneumatic swivel caster that attaches to the left trail end by a spade-like lug. It is secured to the trail by the spade key. This tandem wheel supports the trails in both the towed and stowed configurations allowing the M198 to be easily maneuvered. The current capability of towed howitzers would be increased by simplifying the handling and stowage during ground and air transportability/mobility. It removes some of the dependence on material handling equipment and prime movers while providing labor savings, time savings, and increased safety to the soldiers. The primary functions of the wheel would be to facilitate the loading and unloading of a stowed Ml98 into a cargo carrier aircraft, moving a stowed or towed M198 around a motorpool/airstrip/tactical environment, used during air assault operations for quick emplacement, and obtaining Ml98 weight and center of balance measurements before air movements. (MM).