XM2001 Crusader
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The XM2001 Crusader was to be the United States Army's next generation self-propelled howitzer (SPH), designed to provide significant increases in artillery survivability, lethality, mobility, and operational effectiveness and to be in place by 2008. In early May 2002, United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld cancelled the $11 billion USD program because he considered it neither sufficiently mobile nor precise enough for modern requirements.
The Crusader was intended to replace the M109A6 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer and the M992A2 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicle (FAASV). It was intended to be a fully-automated gun (as opposed to missile) artillery system to support the Initial Brigade Combat Teams (IBCT) Counterattack Corps and a basis for other vehicle developments.
Key features of the Crusader design included:
- Strategic deployment (two Crusaders would fit in a C-17 Globemaster),
- A cooled howitzer (XM297E2) for sustained high rates of fire
- Fully automated ammunition handling and loading system
- State-of-the-art cockpit with embedded command and control
- composite armor
- Survivability features to protect the vehicle and crew
- the LV100-5 gas turbine engine (common with the Abrams tank) to keep up with other fighting vehicles.
Using the same chassis, the resupply vehicles (RSVs) would deliver automatic, reciprocal transfer of ammunition, data and fuel to the SPH or another RSV.
General Characteristics
| SPH | RSV-T | RSV-W | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curb Weight | 40 tons | 36 tons | 33.3 tons |
| Length | 7.53 m | 7.53 m | 11.03 m |
| Width | 3.31 m | 3.31 m | 2.44 m |
| Height | 3.00 m | 3.00 m | 3.59 m |
| Cross-Country Mobility | 39-48 km/h | 39-48 km/h | 64 km/h |
| Armament | Cooled 155mm | none | none |
| Max Range | 40-50km (assisted) | ||
| Rate of Fire/Resupply | 10-12 rounds/min | 48 rounds in 10min | 48 rounds in 10min |
| Crew | 3 | 3 | 3 |
- Prime Contractors: United Defense, L.P. (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
- Foreign Counterpart: No known foreign counterpart
- Foreign Military Sales: None planned
- Program Timeline
- 1QFY95 Approved to commence program definition and risk reduction (PDRR) phase.
- 2QFY98 In-process review completed and manufacture of the PDRR prototype systems begun.
- 3QFY99 Delivery of first RSV prototype.
- 2QFY00 Delivery of first prototype howitzer SPH 1.
- 1QFY02 Successful preliminary design review.
- 1QFY02 More than 4000 rounds fired from SPH 1.
- 2QFY02 Program cancelled.