NLOS-C Demonstrator Reaches 1,000th Round Milestone

Released on Tuesday, April 19, 2005

United Defense has announced that it has fired the 1,000th projectile from the Non-Line-Of-Sight Cannon (NLOS-C) Concept Technology Demonstrator (CTD) at Yuma Proving Ground near Yuma, Arizona. The first round was fired from NLOS-C CTD cannon in August 2003.

The NLOS-C has been labeled as the lead indirect fire support weapon system of the US Army's Future Combat System (FCS) program and one of the eight manned ground platforms being developed for the FCS. The current CTD is the first step in the development of the objective NLOS-C weapon system which will start during the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase of FCS.

United Defense is under a contract that sets the first NLOS-C Increment 0 prototype delivery by 2008. The 1,000th round firing demonstrates that the company is on schedule. Recent lessons learned during military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrated that modern ground forces depend strongly on cannon artillery.

United Defense designed and fielded NLOS-C CTD in just six months following Crusader program cancellation. CTD leverages Crusader technology, the M777 towed howitzer 39-caliber cannon, a fully automated ammunition handling system and a 20-ton highly mobile tracked platform. The current CTD has a magazine capable of holding 24 cannon projectiles and hybrid-electric (diesel electric) propulsion system providing fuel economy.

Throughout 2005, CTD is expected to integrate new lightweight components designed for the FCS platforms and the NLOS-C cannon. Further design refinement will be added to achieve the performance and shape of FCS objective NLOS-C weapon system.