According to the Army, the existing M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzer can send Excalibur rounds to 39.3 kilometers (24.4 miles), which ERCA can now lob to 43 miles.

The Army awarded a $635 million contract to build the Future Artillery Complex at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, as artillery stockpiles have shrunk.

The Army confirmed on Monday that it plan on designating the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) program’s brand new 155mm self-propelled howitzer as the M1299, Army Recognition reports.

The Marine contract is very similar to the Army order in that the arsenal will manufacture more than 100 M776 Full-Bore Chrome Tubes for the same howitzer system.

Fortunately, the “howitzer Huey” never materialized. It was likely an unworkable concept, given the helicopter’s limitations. The 1960s were a wild time in U.S. history.