M110 Howitzer

M110 Howitzer. . The M110 self-propelled howitzer was one of the largest guns ever used by the U.S. Army. Consisting of an 8-inch howitzer installed on a purpose-built chassis, it was deployed to support troops advancing in the field, to counter battery fire, and to suppress enemy air defense systems on the ground. It could hit targets up to 15 miles away, and even further when using rocket-assisted projectiles. A well-trained crew was capable of firing three rounds every two minutes., The M110 first entered service in 1963 and was used during the Vietnam War. Later versions were used by both the U.S. Marines and the British Army in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm., This type of weapon has since been retired from active U.S. Army service because military planners say current technology could deliver firepower to the target with greater range and accuracy. As a result, historians report that gun barrels from retired M110s were initially used as the outer casing in the manufacture of GBU-28 bunker buster bombs., In the Middle Eastern theater, Israel used the M110 in conflicts along its northern border, while Iran was provided with the M110 before the fall of the Shah. As a result, Iranian Revolutionary forces eventually used them against Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War., The 110's standard chassis is powered by a 405hp diesel engine, allowing the gun's 13-man crew to move at speeds approaching 30mph on the open road.