Pentagon scraps XM1299 super howitzer project amid budget constraints

On March 8, the Pentagon announced the cancellation of the XM1299 super howitzer program, which was intended to supplement the older M109s. This is another program that has been scrapped recently.

In the fiscal year 2025, there were insufficient funds to continue the 155 mm self-propelled howitzer XM1299 program. Doug Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, revealed that prototypes were completed in the autumn of last year but were not successful enough to move into production. In total, 20 prototypes were built: two were meant to be destroyed during mine and ballistic testing, and 18 more for an artillery division (the US Army actually refers to them as battalions), which would have carried out further tests.

Among the technical problems, which were the reason for the decision to discontinue funding the program, were issues with the technical aspects: the record-long barrel of 58 calibers (nearly 9 meters) was found to exhibit excessive wear during trials.

For comparison, most modern self-propelled guns of 155 mm caliber have barrels of 52 calibers (e.g. Krab), while American self-propelled and towed guns (the M109 family, M777) have only 39 calibers. At the same time, the Army Futures Command plans to test various "existing solutions" to evaluate their technological maturity. This could include the recently revealed M109-52, i.e., the upgraded M109A7 with a German gun identical to that in the Panzerhaubitze 2000.

The XM1299, developed under the ERCA (Extended Range Cannon Artillery) program, was to provide the US Army with a fire range advantage over any potential opponent. The long barrel of the gun, combined with an enlarged ammunition chamber, was supposed to allow firing even up to 69-150 kilometres using standard ammunition and up to 130-150 kilometres using rocket-assisted ammunition. The rate of fire was also to be high - up to 10 rnds/min, all while having a mass of just about 40 tonnes. The new fire control system was to ensure high precision of fire.

Unfortunately, American artillerymen will still only be able to envy their Polish, French, or German counterparts. This is not the only such case in the history of the US Army.

A month earlier, the FARA (Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft) program fell victim to budget cuts and conceptual changes, within which the US Army was to receive new reconnaissance and attack helicopters. They were to replace the already retired Bell OH-58D Kiowa. Competing in the program were the Bell 360 Invictus and the LM S-97 Raider.

Besides finances, the main reservation was changes in the battleground - it was decided that drones could better undertake reconnaissance roles. Thus, the AH-64D/E Apache attack helicopters will remain without the support of manned helicopters. To what extent drones will fill this gap remains to be seen. Meanwhile, in September 2023, the US Army recommended the closure of the M1A2 SEPv4 Abrams program, which was to replace the variant ordered, among others, by Poland, SEPv3.

The new version of the vehicles was to receive a modern fire control system, finally on par with the competition, as well as new communication systems, self-diagnostic systems, or a data connection enabling the use of programmable ammunition XM1147. The US Army considered the current development line of the Abrams to be unpromising due to its excessive mass (about 67 tonnes, and with full equipment even over 72 tonnes) and overly fuel-thirsty engine.

Efforts were therefore focused on an entirely new version, which is to be lighter, more mobile, cheaper to operate, while still ensuring the safety and high firepower of the crew. Meanwhile, in May 2021, the SLRC (Strategic Long-Range Cannon) program concerning a gun that was to enable shooting at a distance of up to 1600 kilometres (about 1600 kilometres).

Presumably, the reason was Washington's withdrawal from the INF disarmament treaty, which allowed for the possibility of fighting at great distances in Europe without seeking such daunting solutions. History knows many similar cases: a similar program to FARA, the Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche helicopter program, was closed in 2004 after spending $7 billion at the time.

Meanwhile, the former counterpart to XM1299, XM2001 Crusader (155 mm self-propelled howitzer on a modified Abrams chassis, perhaps even more revolutionary), was scrapped after spending $11 billion in 2002. All records were beaten by the Future Combat Systems program, which created a whole family of light tracked vehicles, intended to replace almost all heavy weaponry of the US Army. Closed in 2009, the program cost the American taxpayer $32 billion.

This does not mean that the funds were wasted. On the contrary, the US Army is continuously developing its capabilities, and the national defense industry's capabilities are being built in parallel. Seemingly unsuccessful, scrapped programs may eventually become "donors" of technology for future, successful programs.

Moreover, by undertaking projects such as FCS, XM907, or FARA, American engineers gain vast experience, helping in designing future weapon models. The fate of these projects (and the list is very incomplete) can teach that it is worth investing in our own research and development projects: without the Crusader, there would be no XM1299, and without XM1299, there would not be the future American "supergun".