High-mobility artillery cannon system
AssigneeUnited Defense, L.P.
InventorsRichard W. Staiert, Robert B. Stratton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high-mobility artillery cannon system transportable with the cargo envelop of a transport aircraft, includes a lightweight field howitzer, a medium tactical vehicle, and a bed disposable on the vehicle, the bed for receiving and supporting the howitzer such that the vehicle with the howitzer disposed on the bed is receivable within an envelop having substantially the dimensions of the cargo envelop defined within the C-130 type transport aircraft. A method of configuring a cannon system for transport the C-130 type transport aircraft is included.
Claims19
A high-mobility air-transportable artillery cannon system comprising:
- a field howitzer including an undercarriage and a cradle/barrel operably coupled to the undercarriage, the cradle/barrel being selectively elevatably positionable relative to the undercarriage;
- a tactical vehicle;
- and
- a bed disposable on the vehicle for receiving and supporting the howitzer, the bed including a stationary portion and a tiltable portion, the tiltable portion being selectively tiltably positionable for loading and unloading the howitzer from the vehicle;
- wherein the weight of the system is less than the cargo transport weight capacity of a C-130 transport aircraft;
- wherein the cradle/barrel of the howitzer and the tiltable portion of the bed are cooperatively positionable in a C-130 transport configuration with the howitzer supported on the bed so that the system is receivable within the cargo bay of the C-130 transport aircraft, whereby the system is transportable with the C-130 aircraft in a single sortie;
- and
- wherein the bed includes a deployable pintle hitch for towing a selected one of a plurality of vehicles.
A method of configuring a cannon system for transport in a C-130 transport aircraft comprising:
- providing a field howitzer, the howitzer including an undercarriage and a cradle/barrel operably coupled to the undercarriage, the cradle/barrel being selectively elevatably positionable relative to the undercarriage;
- disposing a bed on a tactical vehicle, the bed including a stationary portion and a tilt portion, the tilt portion being selectively tiltably positionable for loading and unloading the howitzer from the vehicle;
- loading the howitzer on the bed;
- positioning the cradle/barrel of the howitzer and the tilt portion of the bed so that the system is receivable in a cargo bay of the C-130 aircraft;
- and
- disposing a tube muzzle facing forward on the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.