美国陆军在首次发出招标不到一年后，已收到首批韩国制造的移动战术炮，陆军官员周四表示。
The U.S. Army has taken delivery of its first Korean-made mobile tactical cannon less than a year after first issuing a solicitation, service officials said Thursday.
在陆军协会年度会议之前接受记者采访时，陆军进攻火力负责人表示，由韩华防务美国公司制造的移动战术炮正在本月早些时候在国会山举行的首个“陆军现代化日”活动中展出。
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting, the Army’s leader for offensive fires said that the mobile tactical cannon, made by Hanwha Defense USA, was on display at a first-of-its-kind “Army Modernization Day” held on Capitol Hill earlier this month.
“我们很高兴能够拿到它并准备进行测试，”进攻火力组合管理执行官罗伯特·J.“RJ”米克什少将说。“并获取士兵的反馈，我们认为这非常重要。”陆军在8月宣布，已与韩华签订原型合同，研发移动战术炮——一种155毫米自行榴弹炮，旨在取代自2005年起服役的老式M777 155毫米榴弹炮。
“We’re excited to have that and get ready to test it,” said Brig. Gen. Robert J. “RJ” Mikesh Jr., portfolio management executive for offensive fires. “And get that soldier feedback, that we think is so important.”The Army in August announced it had entered a prototyping contract with Hanwha for the Mobile Tactical Cannon, a 155mm self-propelled howitzer intended to replace the legacy M777 155mm howitzers that have been in service since 2005.
这份为期四年的合同价值最高可达近2.63亿美元，用于采购最多18套系统，以进行“快速原型制作、测试和士兵实验”，陆军当时表示。合同要求“加速交付”前六套系统原型，并允许陆军执行选项，最多再采购十二套。
The four-year contract, worth up to nearly $263 million, covers procurement of up to 18 of the systems for “rapid prototyping, testing, and Soldier experimentation,” the Army said in August. It calls for “accelerated delivery” of the first six system prototypes and allows the Army to execute options for up to a dozen more.
虽然陆军尚未公布完整的测试方案，但官员表示，将开展一系列作战实验，以确保系统能够在“真实战斗条件下”可靠运行。移动战术炮是通过其他交易权限协议签约的，其基于韩华的K9移动榴弹炮，K9自1999年起被韩国军队使用，如今在另外10个国家有变种型号在役，占全球现役自行榴弹炮的一半以上。
While the service hadn’t released full details about the testing regimen, officials said a series of operational experiments would take place to ensure the systems could perform reliably in “realistic combat conditions.”The Mobile Tactical Cannon, which was contracted through an Other Transaction Authority agreement, is based on Hanwha’s K9 mobile howitzers, which have been employed by the South Korean military since 1999 and now have variants operating in 10 other countries, making up more than half of all self-propelled howitzers in service around the world.
韩华在合同授予时宣布，正在阿拉巴马州奥佩利卡建设一个集成与测试场地，以开发和推出这些炮系统。
The company announced at the time of the contract award that it was building an integration and test site in Opelika, Alabama, to develop and roll out the cannons.
“正是这种在PAE框架下的紧密合作以及尝试新颖的合同方式使得这成为可能，”米克什周四表示。“在这种情况下，我们并不是在追求全新设计；我们寻找的是成熟且可用的技术。我们向全球公司敞开了大门，明确他们必须在两年内将生产转回国内。这门榴弹炮目前已签订合同。”陆军在预算征询书中表示，其新型自行榴弹炮的装备工作最初将聚焦于斯特赖克旅战斗队，随后是机动和步兵旅战斗队。
“What enabled that was this close partnership under the PAE construct and trying new and novel ways of contracting,” Mikesh said Thursday. “In this case, we were not going after a clean-sheet design; we were looking for mature and available technologies. We opened our aperture for companies around the world, knowing that they’d have to onshore production within two years. That howitzer is now on contract.”The Army has said in budget solicitations that its fielding effort for the new self-propelled howitzers will focus initially on Stryker Brigade Combat Teams, followed by Mobile and Infantry Brigade Combat Teams.
而获得韩华合同的征询书是针对轮式自行榴弹炮，陆军于8月下旬发布了针对移动战术炮履带式变体的新征询书。韩华官员对《突破防御》表示，他们也在努力满足这一需求。
And while the solicitation that received the Hanwha contract is for a wheeled self-propelled howitzer, the Army in late August published a new solicitation for a tracked variant of the Mobile Tactical Cannon. Hanwha officials told Breaking Defense they’re seeking to fill that requirement as well.
陆军2027财年预算请求文件揭示了移动战术炮的额外测试角色：它将协助陆军155毫米炮兵推进现代化项目的工作，该项目旨在通过探索新型推进技术以及在“推进药装、模块化药装、点火系统、推进剂和包装解决方案”方面的进步来提升射程和性能。“这些解决方案将被整合为一个系统能力，以确保互操作性，弥补火力覆盖能力的缺口，从而摧毁或中和70公里外的炮兵目标，”文件中写道。
Army budget request documents for fiscal 2027 illuminate an additional testing role for the Mobile Tactical Cannon: It will facilitate work in the Army’s 155mm Artillery Propulsion Modernization project, designed to improve range and performance by pursuing novel propulsion technologies and advancements in “propelling charge, modular charge, ignition systems, propellant, and packaging solutions.”“Solutions will be integrated into a system of systems capability to ensure interoperability, closing fires capability gaps to destroy or neutralize artillery targets out to 70 kilometers,” the document states.
M777的有效射程低于24公里，约15英里；使用延程Excalibur炮弹时，射程可达40公里，约25英里。K9为52倍径系统，射程超过60公里，约37英里。
The M777 has an effective range of under 24 kilometers, or about 15 miles, and up to 40 kilometers, or 25 miles, with the extended-range Excalibur round. The K9, a 52-caliber system, has a range of more than 60 kilometers, or about 37 miles.
陆军领导人表示，他们希望在2031年前装备移动战术炮的成熟版本。
Army leaders have said they want to field a ready version of the Mobile Tactical Cannon by 2031.