155MM SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY AUTOLOADER

IN VIEW OF RECENT ARMS NEGOTIATIONS, THE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR CONVENTIONAL FORCE CAPABILITY HAS GREATER STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE AND AN ELEVATED SENSE OF URGENCY. IT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE SOVIETS HAVE MORE THAN A 10 TO 1 ADVANTAGE IN DEPLOYED ARTILLERY UNITS. THEREFORE, THERE IS A NEED TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVE-NESS OF THE ADVANCED FIELD ARTILLERY SYSTEM'S 155MM SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY UNIT BY "LEAPFROGGING" FORWARD WITH AUTOMATIC LOADING CAPABILITY. UREA DEVELOPED AN AUTOLOADER CONCEPT THAT INCORPORATES A 4 CHAMBER MAGAZINE AND HAS VERY HIGH POTENTIAL TO: (1) SATISFY THE CRITICAL BURST RATE FIRING REQUIREMENT, I.S., FIRE FOUR ROUNDS IN FIFTEEN SECONDS, (2) HELP PROMOTE THE "SHOOT & SCOOT" BARRAGE CONCEPT, (3) DECREASE THE TOTAL CYCLE TIME FOR SUSTAINED FIRING, (4) REDUCE THE ARTILLERY UNIT'S MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS, (5) REDUCE THE AMMUNITION RESUPPLY MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS, (6) INCREASE THE SURVIVABILITY OF BOTH THE SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY UNIT AND THE RESUPPLY VEHICLE. AGGRESSIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE SMALLEST TIME INCREMENTS IS A CRITICAL DESIGN GOAL BECAUSE THE SUCCESS OF THE AFAS BURST FIRE REQUIREMENT TURNS ON MINIMIZING CYCLE TIME. THE PROPOSED INNOVATIVE CONCEPT SUPPORTS THE GOAL OF EFFICIENT CYCLE TIME MANAGMENT. A SIMILAR APPROACH COULD BE DEVELOPED TO REDUCE THE FIELD AMMUNITION RESUPPLY TIME AND THUS INCREASE SURVIVABILITY.