Precision and the Blue Collar Artillery

摘要

The well documented success of artillery precision munitions during Operation Iraqi Freedom and the concern for minimizing collateral damage in follow on peace keeping operations and urban combat have generated a lively debate around what types of munitions are best for countering the threats for the 21st century. As the field artillery labors to comply with the organizational and training ramifications of Army Transformation it seeks to remain relevant to the Army's current focus on urban operations and its commitment to the Global War on Terror. The focus now within the field artillery community and the munitions production industry is on the continuing improvement of a precision guided round for the 155mm cannon that yields greater range and accuracy. Central to this debate is the potential for precision delivery to supplant high explosive dumb round area suppression as the traditional role of the artillery. This paper will examine the factors shaping this revolution: past successes with precision weaponry and its role in Army Transformation procurement and development costs and its impact on training capability shortfalls and whether precision delivery will best satisfy the dynamic effects and attack guidance requirements for full spectrum warfare as specified in our National Military Strategy.