US Army orders new batch of 155mm Franco-Swedish BONUS shells

It is through BAe, parent company of the Swedish company Bofors, that the US Army has announced the order of a new batch of BONUS artillery shells to equip M109 Paladin self-propelled guns and M777 light howitzers. The delivery of this order, the volume or amount of which has not been revealed, will take place in 2021, and is a real success for the two designers of this 155mm anti-tank artillery shell, the Swedish Bofors and the French Nexter Munitions.

Traditionally, 155mm artillery shells are used for barrage or saturation fire. Despite their accuracy, whether or not they are guided by GPS, their ballistic trajectory makes them poor performing ammunition against armor, which can only be damaged by an unlikely direct hit. The first response to this problem was provided by laser-guided shells, such as the American M712 Copperhead. But to be effective, targets must be illuminated by a laser draftsman, which can expose the forces or equipment (drones) in charge of this mission. In addition, modern armored vehicles often now have laser detectors, and passive protection systems to protect themselves against them, such as smoke bombs.

75% of this article remains to read,
Subscribe to access it!

The Classic subscriptions provide access to
articles in their full version, and without advertising,
from 6,90 €.

Newsletter subscription