U.S. Army releases new video of Extended Range Cannon Artillery

The U.S. Army has released new footage of recently test fired its new long-range cannon artillery at Yuma Proving Ground.

A new video of Extended Range Cannon Artillery test was posted on the official twitter page of U.S Army Yuma Proving Ground on 5 February.

Extended Range Cannon Artillery, or ERCA, will be an improvement to the latest version of the Paladin self-propelled howitzer that provides indirect fires for the brigade combat team and division-level fight.

“Long range precision fires are the Army’s top modernization priority, and YPG testing of the Extended Range Cannon Artillery program is critical to the Army’s goal of fielding artillery systems capable of accurately firing at targets 100 kilometers away,” – said in Yuma Proving Ground post.

Currently, most land-fired artillery shot from a towed howitzer or self-propelled howitzer are able to pinpoint targets out to 30km – so hitting 62km marks a substantial leap forward in offensive attack capability.

Building on mobility upgrades, ERCA will increase the lethality of self-propelled howitzers. ERCA provides a “10x” capability through a combination of an increased range, increased rate of fire, increased lethality, increased reliability and a greater survivability.

The ERCA consists of two parts—a new rocket-boosted shell, the XM1113, and a longer howitzer barrel. 

ERCA will not only have significantly more capability, but also improved reliability and safety. These changes will enable the system to distribute all of the electrical power that it can generate without negatively impacting space and weight.