Saudis Look to USA for Towed Light Artillery

M119 105mm Sept 21/11: The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces Saudi Arabia’s formal request for up to $886 million of equipment to augment the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s existing light artillery capabilities. The Royal Saudi Land Forces already have towed 155mm and 105mm howitzers and support vehicles and systems, and DSCA says they will have no difficulty absorbing these additional howitzers into their armed forces. If a contract is negotiated, implementation of this sale will not require the assignment of any U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As a Foreign Military Sale mode purchase, any contract will be managed by a US Army department, probably the Rock Island Arsenal, IL. The specific items requested include: * 36 M777A2 lightweight 155mm Howitzers. While 155mm isn’t considered light artillery, the use of titanium gives the M777 a level of air-portability that existing RSLF M198 howitzers lack. Range is about the same as an M198’s, at 24-30 km with unguided ammunition. They’re usually lifted by medium-heavy helicopters, but the M777’s 8,256 pound production weight is just below a Saudi UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter’s 9,000 pound maximum underslung capacity. Whether a UH-60L could still lift it in Saudi […]