M107 self-propelled gun

The M107 175 mm (6.9 in) self-propelled gun was used by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps from the early 1960s to the late 1970s. It was part of a family of self-propelled artillery that included the M110. It was intended to provide long-range fire support in an air-transportable system. It was exported to several other countries including Germany, South Korea, Spain, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Turkey. The M107's combat history in U.S. service was limited to the Vietnam War; it also saw extensive combat use in Israeli service. The M107 shared many components with, and in many cases was replaced by, later versions of the M110 203 mm (8.0 in) howitzer. Although withdrawn from U.S. service in the late 1970s, it continues to see military service as of 2024.

Design and production history

During the 1950s, the standard U.S. Army motorized 203 mm (8.0 in) artillery piece was the M55, based on the chassis and the turret of the M53 155 mm self-propelled gun, which used some components from the M48 tank. The weight of the M55, at 44 t (43 long tons; 49 short tons), prohibited air transportation and its gasoline engines limited its range to approximately 260 km (160 mi), and presented a severe fire hazard in combat.

This led the U.S. Army to issue a requirement for a new series of self-propelled artillery systems: the new weapons were to be lighter, to be transportable by air, and would continue the practice of deriving several vehicles from the same chassis, to simplify maintenance and training.