The Field Artillery Branch is a

combat arms Combat arms (or fighting arms in non-American parlance) are troops within national armed forces who participate in direct tactical ground combat. In general, they are units that carry or employ weapons, such as infantry, cavalry, and artillery ...

branch of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

that is responsible for field artillery.

Historical background

The U.S. Army Field Artillery branch traces its origins to 17 November 1775 when the Continental Congress, unanimously elected Henry Knox "Colonel of the Regiment of Artillery". The regiment formally entered service on 1 January 1776. During the 19th Century a total of seven Artillery regiments were formed which contained a mixture of "heavy" artillery companies and "light" artillery batteries. The light artillery batteries took the role of field artillery although they did not use that designation. The seven artillery regiments were designated as regiments of artillery and were not distinguished as being either "coast" or "field" artillery as was the practice in the 20th Century. In the reorganization of the Army by the Act of 2 February 1901, the seven Artillery regiments were reorganized as the Artillery Corps. The Corps was split into 195 battery-sized units, called companies at the time, of Field Artillery and

Coast Artillery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of ...

. In 1907 the Artillery Corps was reorganized into the Field Artillery and the Coast Artillery Corps. Although presently Field Artillery and

Air Defense Artillery The Air Defense Artillery Branch is the branch of the United States Army that specializes in anti-aircraft weapons (such as surface to air missiles). In the U.S. Army, these groups are composed of mainly air defense systems such as the Patrio ...

are separate branches, both inherit the traditions of the

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

branch. In 1907, the Field Artillery companies of the Artillery Corps were organized into six Field Artillery regiments. In 1916, as the United States was preparing for its eventual entry into

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, these six regiments were supplemented by 15 more Field Artillery regiments. During World War I numerous other Field Artillery Regiments were organized in the

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

and National Army, which were mobilized to supplement the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a standin ...

Lineage

In 1924 the Army organized the Coast Artillery Corps into regiments. The first seven regiments retained the lineage of the seven Artillery regiments which existed in the 19th Century. The Coast Artillery Corps was disbanded in 1950 and its units were consolidated with the Field Artillery in the Artillery branch. In 1968 the Artillery branch divided into Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery branches with the newly formed 1st through 7th Air Defense Artillery regiments retaining the lineage of the seven 19th Century artillery regiments. Although the oldest Artillery regiments in the Army are in the Air Defense Artillery branch, this is not necessarily the case for individual units below the regimental level. For example, the 1st Battalion of the 5th Field Artillery traces its lineage to the Alexander Hamilton Battery, formed in 1776, which is the oldest Artillery unit in the active United States Army and is the only Regular Army unit which can trace its lineage to the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. The oldest Field Artillery unit in the U.S. Army is 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery, Massachusetts Army National Guard, which traces its origins to December 1636. Originally an Infantry unit, it was reorganized as an Artillery unit in 1916.

Mission statement

The mission of the Field Artillery is to destroy, defeat, or disrupt the enemy with integrated fires to enable maneuver commanders to dominate in unified land operations.

History

The Field Artillery is one of the Army's combat arms, traditionally one of the three major branches (with

Infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

and

Armor Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

). It refers to those units that use

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

weapons systems to deliver surface-to-surface long range indirect fire. Indirect fire means that the projectile does not follow the line of sight to the target.

Mortars Mortar may refer to: * Mortar (weapon), an indirect-fire infantry weapon * Mortar (masonry), a material used to fill the gaps between blocks and bind them together * Mortar and pestle, a tool pair used to crush or grind * Mortar, Bihar, a villag ...

are not field artillery weapons; they are organic to infantry units and are manned by infantry personnel (US Army MOS 11C or USMC 0341). The term field artillery is to distinguish from the Air Defense Artillery, and historically, from the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (with the function of coastal defense artillery), a branch which existed from 1901–1950. In 1950, the two branches were unified and called simply Artillery, until

was made into a separate branch in 1968. The insignia of the Field Artillery branch is a pair of crossed field guns (19th-century-style cannon) in gold, and dates back to 1834. The home of the Field Artillery and the

Field Artillery School The United States Army Field Artillery School (USAFAS) trains Field Artillery Soldiers and Marines in tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of fire support systems in support of the maneuver commander. The school further develop ...

are at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Harry S

Field artillery is called the "King of Battle". Conflicts in the 20th century saw artillery become exponentially more effective as indirect fire methods were introduced immediately prior to World War I. During

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, field artillery was the single highest casualty-producing weapons system on any battlefield. Soldiers from artillery units have often been used as infantry during both the

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...

and the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...

. While field artillery units have often performed admirably as infantry and accomplishing infantry missions, such use has led to atrophy of essential field artillery specific skills and tasks.

Branch colors

Members of the Field Artillery are referred to as "redlegs" because during the Mexican American War, both Ringgold's Battery and Duncan's Battery were issued uniforms distinguished by scarlet stripes down the legs of their uniform pants, a practice continued through the Civil War and on dress uniforms even after WWI. Scarlet was established as the Artillery Branch color along with crossed cannon branch insignia in the Regulations of 1833. Branch colors are found on the shoulder straps of officers wearing the blue

dress uniform Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, ...

and on branch of service scarves authorized for wear with a variety of uniforms.

Chief of Field Artillery

From 1920 to 1942, the Field Artillery corps was led by a branch chief who held the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. This was in keeping with the Army's other major branches, including infantry, cavalry, and coast artillery. Each chief was responsible for planning and overseeing execution of training, equipping, and manning within his branch. From 1903 to 1908, one Chief of Artillery oversaw both field artillery and coast artillery. After 1908, one general served as Chief of

. After 1920, the Chief of Coast Artillery was joined by the Chief of Field Artillery. The branch chief positions were eliminated in 1942, and their functions consolidated under the commander of the Army Ground Forces as a way to end inter-branch rivalries and enable synchronized and coordinated activities as part of World War II's

combined arms Combined arms is an approach to warfare that seeks to integrate different combat arms of a military to achieve mutually complementary effects (for example by using infantry and armour in an urban environment in which each supports the other) ...

doctrine. The Chiefs of Artillery included: #

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Wallace F. Randolph, 1903–1904 #Brigadier General John Patten Story, 1904–1905 #Brigadier General Samuel M. Mills, 1905–1906 #Brigadier General

Arthur Murray Arthur Murray (born Moses Teichman, April 4, 1895 – March 3, 1991) was an American ballroom dancer and businessman, whose name is most often associated with the dance studio chain that bears his name. Early life and start in dance Arthur Mur ...

, 1906–1908 (became the first Chief of Coast Artillery) The Chiefs of Field Artillery were: #

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

William J. Snow, 1920–1927 #Major General Fred T. Austin, 1927–1930 #Major General Harry G. Bishop, 1930–1934 #Major General Upton Birnie Jr., 1934–1938 #Major General Robert M. Danford, 1938–1942

Publications

The professional journal of the Field Artillery is published at Fort Sill. Known as the ''Field Artillery Journal'' in 1911, it went through many name changes through '' Field Artillery'' in 1987. The journal merged with ''Air Defense Artillery'' in 2007 to become ''Fires''.

Current weapon systems

The U.S. Army employs five types of field artillery weapon systems: * M119A3 105mm light towed howitzer * M777A2 155mm medium towed howitzer * M109A7 Paladin 155mm self-propelled howitzer * M142 High Mobility Rocket Artillery System (HIMARS), a wheeled launcher capable of firing 227mm rockets or Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles * M270A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), a self-propelled launcher capable of firing 227mm rockets or Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles.

Long Range Precision Fires

Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) is a priority of the U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC). The aim is to modernize a suite of capabilities of the artillery. LRPF appears to be a *project of an AFC Cross-functional team (CFT),Jen Judso
(8 Nov 2022) Lockheed talks results of US Army’s long-range munition shoot-off
a *requirements definition process for new capabilities, such as targeting the new thousand-mile missiles, "streamlining the sensor-shooter link at every echelon"—Col (Promotable) John Rafferty,Sydney Freedberg, Jr
(11 Sep 2018) Aiming The Army’s Thousand-Mile Missiles
/ref> for a * Strategic Long Range Cannon (SLRC) for a hypersonic projectileMatthew Co
(14 September 2018) The Army is developing a new strategic cannon to devastate targets over 1,000 miles away
/ref> (program cancelled in May 2022), a *target capability for the Field Artillery (its howitzers) and Air Defense Artillery (a 500 km missile),Sydney Freedberg, Jr
(March 23, 2018) Army Will Field 100 Km Cannon, 500 Km Missiles: LRPF CFT
/ref> and a *test case for the acquisition process of the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

Jared Serb
(August 2, 2018) Army has picked a location for its new Futures Command, but now comes the hard part
/ref> such as the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), a standoff weapon to be fielded by FY2023.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(20 Mar 2020) Hypersonics: Army, Navy Test Common Glide Body
"The U.S. Navy and U.S. Army jointly executed the launch of a common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB), which flew at hypersonic speed to a designated impact point"
DoD (20 March 2020) Department of Defense tests hypersonic glide body
"The C-HGB – when fully fielded – will comprise the weapon's conventional warhead, guidance system, cabling, and thermal protection shield." Also: comments from LTG L. Neill Thurgood RCCTO The LRHW has been named ''Dark Eagle'' by the US Army.Theresa Hitchen
(11 Aug 2021) ‘Confident’ Of 2023 Fielding Goal, Army Dubs Hypersonic Weapon ‘Dark Eagle’
/ref>

Future Weapon Systems

Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) CFT

According to AFC, the mission of the Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) CFT is to "deliver cutting-edge surface-to-surface (SSM) fires systems that will significantly increase range and effects over currently fielded US and adversary systems." AFC's five major programs for LRPF are: * The Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) program which develops a system capable of firing accurately at targets beyond 70 km as opposed to the M109A7's 30 km current range * The Precision Strike Mission (PrSM) which is a precision-strike guided SSM fired from the M270A1

MLRS A multiple rocket launcher (MRL) or multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a type of rocket artillery system that contains multiple launchers which are fixed to a single platform, and shoots its rocket ordnance in a fashion similar to a voll ...

and M142 HIMARS doubling the present rate-of-fire with two missiles per launch pod * The Strategic Long-Range Cannon (SLRC) program, which would have developed a system that could have fired a hypersonic projectile up to 1,000 miles against air defense,

, missile systems, and command and control targetsJen Judso
(14 Oct 2019) Strategic, long-range cannon preps to jump its first tech hurdle
2019 AUSA— targets 2023 prototype was terminated 23 May 2022.Jen Judson
(23 May 2022) US Army terminates Strategic Long-Range Cannon science and technology effort
/ref> * The Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) is a collaborative program between the Army,

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

, and Missile Defense Agency (MDA) which is planned to become the base of the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) program * A ground-launchable UGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, as well as the

SM-6 The RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM), or Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), is a missile in current production for the United States Navy. It was designed for extended-range anti-air warfare (ER-AAW) purposes, providing capability ...

(RIM-174 Standard ERAM) to fill the gap in the Army's mid-range missile capabilities. Based on Futures Command's development between July 2018 and December 2020, by 2023 the earliest versions of these weapons will be fielded:Dan Gour�
(2 Dec 2020) Army's Newest Long-Range Fires System Isn't New, But It Will Be Effective
/ref> DarkEagle2021

The kill chains will take less than 1 minute, from detection of the target, to execution of the fires command; Theresa Hitchens these operations will have the capability to precisely strike "command centers, air defenses, missile batteries, and logistics centers" nearly simultaneously.Todd Sout
(20 Aug 2020) Army missile defenders defeat cruise and ballistic missiles nearly simultaneously
The test created terabytes of data to be queried.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(22 Mar 2021) Army Missiles, Missile Defense Race Budget Crunch To 2023
/ref> * The speed of battle damage assessment will depend on the travel time of the munition. This capability depends on the ability of a specialized CFT, Assured precision navigation and timing (APNT) to provide detail.Office of the Chief of Public Affair
(10.16.2019) 2019 AUSA Warriors Corner - TacticalSpace: Delivering Future Force Space Capabilities
*#Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing *#Tactical Space:

SDA SDA or sda may refer to: Educational institutions * San Dieguito Academy, Encinitas, California, US * SDA Bocconi School of Management, in Milan, Italy Science and technology Biology * Specific dynamic action, the thermic effect of food * Str ...

is structuring a multi-layer satellite system: *##Backbone layer for data transport downward to the long-range precision fires *##Custody layer for missiles' trajectories, whether friendly or threat *##Tracking layer for hypersonic glide vehicles which represent threats to the multi-layer satellite system *##Space situational awareness for cis-lunar trajectories, *#NavWarCaitlin O'Neill, APNT CFT Public Affair
(23 August 2019) APNT CFT Hosts First Annual Assessment Exercise
/ref> *# Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF): Howitzer artillery ranges have doubled, in excess of , with accuracy within 1 meter of the aimpoint, currently with sufficient accuracy to intercept cruise missiles, as of September 2020, reaching the 43 mile range as of December 2020.Ben Wolfgan
(22 Dec 2020) Army's long-range cannon hits target 43 miles away
/ref> *# Precision Strike Missiles (PrSMs) can reach in excess of 150 miles, with current 2020 tests *# Mid-range capability (MRC) fires can reach in excess of 500 to 1000 miles, using mature Navy missilesSydney J. Freedberg Jr
(12 Mar 2021) Joint World Warms Up To Army Long-Range Missiles
Capabilities of MDTF *# Long-Range Hypersonic Weapons (LRHWs) are to have a range greater than 1725 miles.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(12 May 2021) Army Discloses Hypersonic LRHW Range Of 1,725 Miles; Watch Out China
/ref> The current M109A6 "Paladin" howitzer range is doubled in the M109A7 variant.Defense Update
U.S ARMY's EXTENDED RANGE CANNON ARTILLERY CREATES WORLD RECORD , HITS TARGET AT 43 MILES or 70 KM !
/ref>David Vergun, Army News Servic
(13 September 2018) Cross-functional teams already producing results, says Futures Command general
House Armed Services Sub-committee hearing, 13 September 2018 An operational test of components of the Long range cannon was scheduled for 2020.Nancy Jones-Bonbrest, Army Rapid Capabilities Offic
(20 September 2018) Army doubles cannon range in prototype demo
/ref> The LRC is complementary to Extended range cannon artillery (ERCA),Defense updates (14 Dec 2018) EXTENDED RANGE CANNON ARTILLERY OF U S ARMY- FULL ANALYSIS
5:00 clip. XM1113 shell and XM657 propellant on XM907 the M1299 Extended Range Cannon Artillery howitzer. Baseline ERCA is to enter service in 2023.Todd Sout
(11 Mar 2020) The Army is ‘making artillery great again’
Press conference.US Arm
(27 May 2020) Excalibur Round Precision Hit From 65 kilometers at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground
/ref> Investigations for ERCA in 2025: rocket-boosted artillery shells:Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, CG RDECO
(25 September 2018) RDECOM's road map to modernizing the Army: Long-range precision fires
First in a series Tests of the Multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) XM30 rocket shell have demonstrated a near-doubling of the range of the munition, using the Tail controlled guided multiple launch rocket system, or TC-G.Devon L. Suits, Army News Servic
(8 May 2019) Army demonstrates extended ranges for precision munitions
/ref> The TRADOC capability manager (TCM) Field Artillery Brigade - DIVARTY has been named a command position. *An autoloader for ERCA's 95-pound shells is under development at

Picatinny Arsenal The Picatinny Arsenal ( or ) is an American military research and manufacturing facility located on of land in Jefferson and Rockaway Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States, encompassing Picatinny Lake and Lake Denmark. The Ar ...

, to support a sustained firing rate of 10 rounds a minute Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(16 Apr 2021) ERCA: Army Contracts To Help New Cannon ‘Fire Faster’
/ref> A robotic vehicle for carrying the shells is a separate effort at Futures Command's Army Applications Lab.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(27 January 2020) Artillery Seeks Robot Ammo Haulers
Field Artillery Autonomous Resupply * The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is intended to replace the Army Tactical Missile System (MGM-140 ATACMS) in 2023. PrSM flight testing is delayed beyond 2 August 2019, the anticipated date for the expiration of the

Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty, formally the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles; / ДРСМ� ...

, which set 499 kilometer limits on intermediate-range missiles.Paul McLear
(19 July 2019) Army Readies Long-Range Missile Tests—Post INF
/ref> (David Sanger and Edward Wong projected that the earliest test of a longer range missile could be a ground-launched version of a

Tomahawk cruise missile The Tomahawk () Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is a long-range, all-weather, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile that is primarily used by the United States Navy and Royal Navy in ship and submarine-based land-attack operations. Under contract fr ...

,David Sanger and Edward Wong ''The New York Times'' (2 August 2019) US ends cold war missile treaty, to counter arms buildup by China. p.A7 * ROBERT BURNS AND LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press
(19 August 2019) Pentagon conducts first test of previously banned missile
followed by a test of a mobile ground launched IRBM with a range of 1800–2500 miles before year-end 2019.Paul McCleary
(12 Dec 2019) US Busts INF Wall With Ballistic Missile, Puts Putin & Xi On Notice
/ref>) The 2020

National Defense Authorization Act The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is the name for each of a series of United States federal laws specifying the annual budget and expenditures of the U.S. Department of Defense. The first NDAA was passed in 1961. The U.S. Congress o ...

(NDAA)NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Senate report 116-48
H.R.2500 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020Nicole Ogrysko (20 December 2019 10:35 pm ) Trump signs shutdown-averting spending bills, makes federal pay raise law
The signing occurred in time on that day, which avoided the 11:59pm shutdown trigger

/ref> was approved on 9 December 2019, which allowed the Pentagon to continue testing such missiles in FY2020.Brendan Deverau
(28 Jan 2022) WHY INTERMEDIATE-RANGE MISSILES ARE A FOCAL POINT IN THE UKRAINE CRISIS
/ref> The Lockheed PrSM prototype had its first launch on 10 December 2019 at White Sands Missile Range, in a 150-mile test, and an overhead detonation; the Raytheon PrSM prototype was delayed from its planned November launch,Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(10 December 2019) Direct Hit: Army Test-Fires Lockheed Precision Strike Missile EXCLUSIVE
*Clark Schult
(10 Dec. 2019) Lockheed Martin missile test goes off well
/ref> and Raytheon has now withdrawn from the PrSM risk reduction phase. The PrSM's range and accuracy, the interfaces to HIMARS launcher, and test software, met expectations.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(19 Mar 2020) PRSM: Lockheed Long-Range Missile Passes Short-Range Stress Test
3 layers of LRPF are scheduled to enter service in limited numbers in 2023; also explains its relationship to Future vertical lift (FVL) and Mobile & expeditionary network PrSM passed Milestone B on 1 October 2021. Baseline PrSM is to enter service in 2023;Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(30 Apr 2020) Army: Lockheed PrSM Missile Aces Third Flight Test
*2023 goal is to deliver 30 PrSMs with 500 km range *2025 goal is to use multi-mode seekers against moving targets *Use open architecture to allow multiple vendors to offer upgrades *Provide extended range (beyond 650-700 km) within the existing HIMARS MLRS form factor an upgraded version of PrSM, with multi-mode seekers will then be sought.Andrew Eversde
(3 May 2027) The Army could get its next-gen Precision Strike Missiles in FY27
/ref> * For targets beyond the PrSM's range, the Army's RCCTO will seek a mid-range missile prototype by 2023, with a reach from 1000 to 2000 miles.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(08 September 2020) Army Seeks New Mid-Range Missile Prototype By 2023
1000 mile missile needed.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(14 October 2020) Army Asks Hill For New Mid-Range Missile $$$ ASAP: Thurgood
Fund the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) with 2020 Above Threshold Reprogramming (ATR).Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(13 October 2020) China, Russia Threats To Drive What Army Keeps & Cuts: Gen. Murray
TRAC needs to produce its reports in 3 months or faster. Loren Thompson points out that a spectrum of medium-range to long-range weapons will be available to the service by 2023;Loren Thompso
(12 Apr 2021) Air Power Advocates Are Attacking Army Long-Range Strike Plans. Here's Why They're Wrong.
/ref> RCCTO's prototype Mid-Range Capability (MRC) battery will field mature Navy missiles, likely for the Indo-Pacific theater in FY2023.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(6 November 2020) Army Picks Tomahawk & SM-6 For Mid-Range Missiles
Tomahawk (missile) and

(RIM-174 Standard ERAM) DARPA is developing

OpFires Operational Fires (abbreviated as OpFires) is a hypersonic ground-launched system developed by DARPA for the United States Armed Forces. The system deploys a boost glide vehicle. The prime contractor for the program is Lockheed Martin. The sys ...

, an intermediate-range hypersonic weapon which is shorter-range than the Army's LRHW. DARPA is seeking a role in the armory for OpFires' throttle-able rocket motor, post-2023.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(23 October 2020) DARPA's Hypersonic OpFires Aims For Army 1,000-Mile Missile
/ref>Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(13 November 2018) Beyond INF: Countering Russia, Countering China (Analysis)
/ref> DARPA announced in July 2022 it successfully tested its OpFires hypersonic weapon at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) for the first time.Mike Ston

The OpFires launch was from a Marine Corps logistics truck.John Vandive

/ref> OpFires will "rapidly and precisely engage critical, time-sensitive targets while penetrating modern enemy air defenses", potentially to be launched from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher. These weapons will likely require planning for new Army (or Joint) formations. * The Long range hypersonic weapons (LRHWs) will use precision targeting data against anti-access area denial (A2AD) radars and other critical infrastructure of near-peer competitors by 2023. LRHW does depend on stable funding.Bill Greenwalt
(13 Dec 2021) New defense budget commission could be last hope for fixing DoD spending
Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(20 September 2019) Congress’ Budget Gridlock Threatens Army Hypersonics
G8 is posing a heuristic to get beyond delay in NDAA (national defense authorization act) for 2020 (get Army funding by calendar year-end) *Jacob Pramu

CR funds the government until 21 Nov 2019 Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(28 Feb 2020) Army Ramps Up Funding For Laser Shield, Hypersonic Sword
In FY2021 HELs funding is up 209 percent; LRHW funding is up 86 percent. RCCTO spending is $1 billion in 2021.Corey Dickstei
(3 March 2020) Army to fire two hypersonic test shots this year, McCarthy says
/ref> ** Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) 7.0 is the vehicle for a Multi-domain task force's artillery battery very similar to a

THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), formerly Theater High Altitude Area Defense, is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to shoot down short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in their termina ...

battery: beginning in 2020, these batteries will train for a hypersonic glide vehicle which is common to the Joint forces.Sean Kimmons, Army News Service The Long range hypersonic weapon (LRHW)Ryan Pickrel
(5 June 2019) The US Army says it will have hypersonic missiles and laser weapons ready for combat in less than 4 years
/ref> glide vehicle is to be launched from transporter erector launchers.Nancy Jones-Bonbrest, Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO
(12 February 2020) Virtual Reality helps Soldiers shape Army hypersonic weapon prototype
LRHW Tests of the Common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB) to be used by the Army and Navy were meeting expectations in 2020. **In August 2020 the director of Assured precision navigation and timing (APNT) CFT announced tests which integrate the entire fires

kill chain The term kill chain is a military concept which identifies the structure of an attack. It consists of: * identification of target * dispatching of forces to target * initiation of attack on target * destruction of target Conversely, the idea o ...

, from initial detection to final destruction. William B. Nelson announced the flow of satellite data from the European theater (Germany), and AI processing of AFATDS targeting data to the fires units.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(5 August 2020) Army Tests New All Domain Kill Chain: From Space To AI
#Initially, satellites feed data to TITAN. #Prometheus, which is AI software, combs through the data for potential threats and targets. #SHOT, which is also software, tracks each target on a custody list, correlating each target's current location, signature, and threat assessment, with a list of candidate fires countermeasures, ranked by capability, range to the target, kill radius, etc. "SHOT then computes the optimal match of weapons to targets", and passes the list to AFATDS. #Human commanders choose whether to fire, or not, from the list of fires assets (Nelson notes that ERCA and Grey Eagle drones are to be added to the list of fires assets—currently M777 howitzers and MLRS 270 rocket launchers in the upcoming tests, August 2020). #satellites perform Battle damage assessment, to update the list of threats and targets.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(14 August 2020) Can Army Intel Data Feed The Kill Chain?
Quickly pooling data will take AI and cloud—"Project Convergence"Nathan Strou
(29 Apr 2022) Army Futures Command learning from Russia's invasion of Ukraine
Satellite "sensors also need to be better integrated with Army systems, to the point that satellite data can be downlinked directly to the battlefield".—Willie Nelson, Deputy Asst Sec Army ***In September 2020 an AI kill chain was formulated in seconds; a hypervelocity (speeds up to Mach 5) munition,Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(26 January 2018) $86,000 + 5,600 MPH = Hyper Velocity Missile Defense
/ref> launched from a descendant of the Paladin, intercepted a cruise missile surrogate.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr
(10 September 2020) Target Gone In 20 Seconds: Army Sensor-Shooter Test
/ref> **Three flight tests of LRHW were scheduled in 2021;Matthew Co

/ref> that plan was changed to one test in late 2021, followed by a multi-missile test in 2022.Sydney J. Freedberg, Jr
(21 Oct 2020) LRPF: Army Missiles, Cannon Face Big Tests In ’21
/ref>Nancy Jones-Bonbrest, Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Offic
(16 February 2021) Speeding ahead: Hypersonics team stays on track to deliver despite pandemic
/ref> The LRHW has been named 'Dark Eagle' Theresa Hitchens The first LRHW battery will start to receive its first operational rounds in early FY2023; all eight rounds for this battery will have been delivered by FY2023.Andrew Eversde
(15 Oct 2021) First Live Hypersonic Missile Rounds To Be Delivered to Army Unit Next Year
/ref> By then, the PEO Missiles and Space will have picked up the LRHW program, for batteries two and three in FY'25 and FY'27, respectively. Battery one will first train, and then participate in the LRHW flight test launches in FY'22 and FY'23.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
(November 22, 2019) SecArmy's Multi-Domain Kill Chain: Space-Cloud-AI
Army Multi-Domain Operations Concept, December 2018 slide fro
TRADOC pamphlet 525-3-1 (Dec 2018)
Multi Domain Operations,space

Patrick Tucke
(21 Oct 2022) The Military’s Network Warfare Experiment Scaled Up This Year
/ref>

Organization

In 1789 after the Revolution there was only one battalion of four companies of artillery. In 1794 a " Corps of Artillerists and Engineers" was organized, which included the four companies of artillery then in service and had sixteen companies in four battalions. In 1802 there was a reduction of the army. The Artillery were separated from the Engineers and the former formed into one regiment of 20 companies. In 1808 a regiment of ten companies called the " Regiment of Light Artillery" was formed. In 1812 two more regiments were added. In 1821 four regiments were created from existing units on the following lines. * 1st Regiment of Artillery, 2 March 1821, listed by artillery battery: **A **B **C **D **E **F **G **H **I **K- added 1832 **L- added 1847 **M- added 1847 **N- added 1899 **O- added 1899 * 2nd Regiment of Artillery, 2 March 1821 ** Battery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery * 3rd Regiment of Artillery, 2 March 1821 * 4th Regiment of Artillery, 2 March 1821 ** 4th U.S. Artillery, Battery H ** 4th U.S. Artillery, Battery I ** 4th U.S. Artillery, Battery M *

5th Regiment of Artillery The 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is an Air Defense Artillery regiment of the United States Army, first formed in 1861 in the Regular Army as the 5th Regiment of Artillery. Lineage On 4 May 1861, in conformity with the proclamation of the Pr ...

, 4 May 1861 ** 5th U.S. Artillery, Battery H * 6th Regiment of Artillery, 8 March 1898 * 7th Regiment of Artillery, 8 March 1898 *(98 Batteries) In 1901 the regimental organization of the US Army artillery was abolished, more companies were added, and given numerical designations. * 126 companies of heavy (coast) artillery * 30 companies of light (field) artillery In 1907 the

Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an administrative corps responsible for coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft defense of the United States and its possessions between 1901 and 1950. The CAC also operated heavy and railway artillery ...

was established as a separate branch, and the Field Artillery re-established regiments officially, although provisional regiments had existed since 1905. * 1st Field Artillery Regiment ** With 2 battalions each with 3 batteries * 2nd Field Artillery Regiment * 3rd Field Artillery Regiment * 4th Field Artillery Regiment *

5th Field Artillery Regiment The 5th Field Artillery Regiment was constituted as part of the Regular Army in January 1907. Individual battalions have lineages which date back further. Currently, it is a parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, with a single ...

6th Field Artillery Regiment The 6th Field Artillery Regiment is a Field Artillery Branch regiment of the United States Army first activated in 1907 from numbered companies of artillery. It was first organized with two battalions. 6th Field Artillery assigned 8 June 1917 t ...

In 1916 Congress enacted the National Defense Act and 15 more regiments were authorized. * 7th Field Artillery Regiment *

8th Field Artillery Regiment The 8th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916. The regiment served in World War I, World War II, and Korea, and regimental units have served in Vietnam, Honduras, Panama, Operation De ...

* 9th Field Artillery Regiment * 10th Field Artillery Regiment * 11th Field Artillery Regiment *

12th Field Artillery Regiment The 12th Field Artillery Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. Distinctive insignia Description and symbolism The unit's insignia is a gold color metal and enamel device 1 inch (2.54 cm) in height overall consisting of a ...

* 13th Field Artillery Regiment *

14th Field Artillery Regiment The 14th Field Artillery Regiment is a parent field artillery regiment of the United States Army, currently represented in the Regular Army by its 1st Battalion, a HIMARS unit with the 75th Field Artillery Brigade at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The reg ...

* 15th Field Artillery Regiment *

16th Field Artillery Regiment The 16th Field Artillery Regiment is a field artillery regiment of the United States Army. The regiment served with the 4th Division in World War II and with the 4th and 8th Divisions between the World Wars. As the 16th Armored Field Artillery ...

* 17th Field Artillery Regiment * 18th Field Artillery Regiment *

19th Field Artillery Regiment The 19th Field Artillery Regiment is a Field Artillery regiment of the United States Army first formed in 1916. History The 19th Field Artillery was Constituted 1 July 1916 in the Regular Army. Lineage Distinctive unit insignia *Description ...

* 20th Field Artillery Regiment * 21st Field Artillery Regiment In 1917, following the

American entry into World War I American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

, the numbers from 1 through 100 were reserved for the Regular Army, from 101 through 300 for the

, and 301 and above for the National Army. Under this system the 1st through 21st and 76th through 83d were organized in the Regular Army; the 101st through 151st, in the National Guard; and, the 25th through 75th, 84th and 85th, and the 301st through 351st in the National Army. Field Artillery Brigades, numbered 1st through 24th, 51st through 67th, and 151st through 172d, were also organized, with each brigade typically commanding three regiments; each division had one of these artillery brigades. A 1918 expansion added the 22d Field Artillery Regiment through the 39th Field Artillery Regiment with some exceptions, notably Philippine Scouts units. The

constantly reorganized the numbered companies until 1924, but during World War I created 61 artillery regiments from the numbered companies, for service (or potential service) with the

American Expeditionary Forces The American Expeditionary Forces (A. E. F.) was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The A. E. F. was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of General John J. Pershing. It fought along ...

(AEF); the 30th through 45th Artillery Brigades were also created to command groups of these regiments. These regiments operated almost all US-manned heavy and

railway artillery A railway gun, also called a railroad gun, is a large artillery piece, often surplus naval artillery, mounted on, transported by, and fired from a specially designed railway wagon. Many countries have built railway guns, but the best-known are ...

on the Western Front, and were designated, for example, 51st Artillery (Coast Artillery Corps (CAC)). Most of these were disbanded immediately after the war. The Coast Artillery also acquired the antiaircraft mission during the war, which was formalized a few years later. In 1924 the Coast Artillery Corps adopted a regimental system, and numbered companies were returned to letter designations. (In order to promote esprit-de-corps, the first 7 regiments were linked to the original 7 regiments of artillery). During 1943 most antiaircraft units lost their Coast Artillery designations, and the regiments were broken up into battalions. However, the antiaircraft branch remained nominally part of the Coast Artillery Corps. In late 1944 the Coast Artillery harbor defense regiments were inactivated or reorganized as battalions, which themselves were mostly disbanded in April 1945, with personnel transferred to the local

Harbor Defense Command A Harbor Defense Command was a military organization of the United States Army Coast Artillery Corps designated in 1925 from predecessor organizations dating from circa 1895. It consisted of the forts, controlled underwater minefields, and other c ...

s. 977 Coast Artillery and antiaircraft battalions were created before the branch's demise in 1950. In 1943 an Army-wide (except infantry) reorganization created numerous serially numbered battalions, and most regiments were broken up into battalions. Also during World War II new designations were applied to some units, the "Armored Field Artillery Battalion" for self-propelled units and the "Parachute (or Glider) Field Artillery Battalion" for airborne units. A number of "Field Artillery Groups" were also created during the war.Stanton, pp. 339–424 The Army Anti-Aircraft Command ARAACOM was created July 1950, and in 1957, ARAACOM was renamed to US Army Air Defense Command (USARADCOM). A new system, the

U.S. Army Combat Arms Regimental System The Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), was the method of assigning unit designations to units of some of the combat arms branches of the United States Army, including Infantry, Special Forces, Field Artillery, and Armor, from 1957 to 1981. ...

, or CARS, was adopted in 1957 to replace the old regimental system. CARS used the Army's traditional regiments as parent organizations for historical purposes, but the primary building blocks are divisions, and brigades became battalions. Each battalion carries an association with a parent regiment, even though the regimental organization no longer exists. In some brigades several numbered battalions carrying the same regimental association may still serve together, and tend to consider themselves part of the traditional regiment when in fact they are independent battalions serving a brigade, rather than a regimental, headquarters. From circa 1959 through 1971 antiaircraft units and field artillery units were combined with common parent regiments for lineage purposes, for example the "1st Artillery". In 1968 the

Air Defense Artillery Branch (United States Army) The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing fo ...

was split from the artillery, with the Regular Army air defense and field artillery regiments separating on 1 September 1971. The CARS was replaced by the

U.S. Army Regimental System The United States Army Regimental System (USARS) is an organizational and classification system used by the United States Army. It was established in 1981 to replace the Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS) to provide each soldier with continu ...

(USARS) in 1981. US Artillery Structure 1989. On 1 October 2005, the word "regiment" was formally appended to the name of all active and inactive CARS and USARS regiments. So, for example, the 1st Cavalry officially became titled the 1st Cavalry Regiment. During the Cold War the Field Artillery was responsible for all mobile ballistic missile weapons systems, including the

Lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...

and

Pershing II The Pershing II Weapon System was a solid-fueled two-stage medium-range ballistic missile designed and built by Martin Marietta to replace the Pershing 1a Field Artillery Missile System as the United States Army's primary nuclear-capable thea ...

ballistic missiles.

Redlegs

Matt Bevin Matthew Griswold Bevin (; born January 9, 1967) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 62nd governor of Kentucky, from 2015 to 2019. He was the third Republican Party (United States), Republican elected Kentucky governor sin ...

, 62nd Governor of Kentucky *

Tommy Franks Tommy Ray Franks (born 17 June 1945) is a retired general in the United States Army. His last army post was as the Commander of the United States Central Command, overseeing United States military operations in a 25-country region, including t ...

, 7th Commander of United States Central Command (2000–2003) *

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record l ...

, founder of Motown Record Corp.http://digitaledition.qwinc.com/publication/?i=161091 – last visited 13 September 2013 * Alexander Hamilton, Founding Father of the United States and first Secretary of the Treasury. * Edwin Meese, 75th United States Attorney General * Raymond T. Odierno, 38th

Chief of Staff of the United States Army The chief of staff of the Army (CSA) is a statutory position in the United States Army held by a general officer. As the highest-ranking officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, the chief is the principal military advisor and ...

Charles Rangel Charles Bernard Rangel (, ; born June 11, 1930) is an American politician who was a U.S. representative for districts in New York from 1971 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the second-longest serving incumbent member of the Ho ...

, Member of U.S. House of Representatives (1971–2017) * Samuel Ringgold, Hero of the

Battle of Palo Alto The Battle of Palo Alto ( es, Batalla de Palo Alto) was the first major battle of the Mexican–American War and was fought on May 8, 1846, on disputed ground five miles (8 km) from the modern-day city of Brownsville, Texas. A force of so ...

James N. Robertson James Nelson Robertson (May 24, 1913 – October 3, 1990) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for Delaware County from 1949 to 1952. Early life and education ...

, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1949–1952),

Brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the

Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 pe ...

John Shalikashvili John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, 1992–1993, 13th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff * Harry S. Truman, 33rd

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

* Allen West, Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and member of U.S. House of Representatives (2011–2013) * William Westmoreland, 25th Chief of Staff of the United States Army and 2nd Commander of

Military Assistance Command, Vietnam U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) was a joint-service command of the United States Department of Defense. MACV was created on 8 February 1962, in response to the increase in United States military assistance to South Vietnam. MACV ...

* John William Vessey Jr, 10th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff * Carl E. Vuono, 31st Chief of Staff of the United States Army * Dennis J. Reimer, 33rd Chief of Staff of the United States Army * Maxwell D. Taylor, 20th Chief of Staff of the United States Army, 5th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Ambassador to South Vietnam * Randolph Scott, film actor and 2nd Lieutenant of Artillery, 1917–1919 * George H. Thomas, Major General in the Civil War and famous as the "Rock of Chickamauga" * J.H. Binford Peay III, 24th Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, 5th Commander of United States Central Command, and 14th Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute * Joe R. Reeder, Undersecretary of the Army, 1993–1997 *

Jack N. Merritt Jack Neil Merritt (October 23, 1930 – January 3, 2018) was a United States Army four-star general who served as U.S. Military Representative, NATO Military Committee (USMILREP) from 1985 to 1987. Military career Merritt was born in Lawton, Okla ...

, U.S. Military Representative to NATO, 1985–1987, National Security Council

Notes and References

* * *

External links

Ike Skelton Combined Arms Research LibraryThe Organizational History of Field Artillery from 1775 to 2003
*
Morris Swett Digital Collections
at the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill {{US Army navbox Artillery of the United States Field artillery Branches of the United States Army Military units and formations established in 1775 1775 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Artillery administrative corps