Cannons After 1900

The Mark 42 5"/54 caliber gun began its use in 1953. It is a naval artillery gun, and is used by the US Navy. This gun is a very powerful weapon, with a velocity of 2,650 ft/s. This gun fires a projectile 5 inches in diameter, from a 54 caliber barrel. The gun mount that the gun sits on is self loading, with the maximum rate of fire being 40 rounds/minute.

 

This is a M198 howitzer. It is a towed artillery piece. This can be dropped by a parachute, or be brought in by a CH-53E Super Stallion or CH-47 Chinook. (Both military helicopters, click on links to learn more.) This cannon can take 9 types of artillery including:

1. High Explosive (HE)
2.  Rocket Assisted Projectile (RAP)
3.  White Phosphorus (WP)
4.  Illumination
5.  Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM)
6. Area Denial Artillery Munition System (ADAMS)
7.  Remote Anti Armor Mine System (RAAMS)
8.  CopperheadSense
9.  Destroy Armor (SADARM)

The last of these is the most interesting, being an experimental ammunition. SADARM shoots a parachute in the general direction of the oppenent and fires a parachute. The parachute then guides itself to the nearest vehicle and explodes.

This gun uses nine men, and can fire 4 rounds per miniute. It has been used since 1979, and is still used today, although it is no longer produced (which may be due to the hefty price to make one: $527,337). The cannon weighs nearly 16,000 pounds and it can shoot 14 miles. This cannon is certainly a scary one.