couldn't you mount a 155mm artillary peice in a stryker with arms that come down on the 4 corners and hold it on the ground? That would take the recoil risk away. For the weight, you don't need any armor, because it is artillary and not meant to be fired.

fired upon* sorry...

I think you wold then start running into the weight/height problems. I don't believe the Cesar is armored and you really don't need the steel armor of a Stryker on a DS SP wheeled howitzer. Maybe Kevlar armor?

In my opinion the towed 120mm mortar is the best form of indirect fire support for light units. In mechanized units breech loaded mortars are best, but if cost is a factor turntable mounted mortars will due. The 120mm mortar round contains more explosive power than the 105mm howitzer round which trades off propulsive charge for explosive sharge. Range is better with howitzers, but range is not as important with light units. No amount of lightening will ever allow a 105mm howtizer to compete with the portability of a towed 120mm mortar especially for airborne/air mobile units. Royal ordance is trying to build LAV III/Stryker based 8X8/10X10 155mm SPH, but from what I understand recoil forces of the large round are making development nearly impossible.

I could be mistaken, but I don't believe there is that much of a difference between the "bang" from a 120mm mortar vs a 105mm shell.

http://www.swissmun.com/d/about/mortarammunation/MortarCargoRound_120mm.pdf http://www.giat-industries.fr/asp/us/pdf/us_ftech_muni105.pdf It appears the 120mm mortar has more "bang" while the 105mm shell has twice the range but less "bang".

I guess for light infantry the preferred traits are lighter weight, and possibly range. Light infantry operate dispersed and probably need that range more then power. If power is needed, more shells sent.

The South africans use wheeled artillary, forgot the name, is 155mm with range 28kn. The Czech also have a similar system, mounted on a truck, and the Italians also developed one. On strategypage, I read Malaysia (I think) developed a lifgter system capable of 3 round 105 salvo and rapid scooting. Any of these offer advantages to light infantry: Portable and mobile, easily supported.

I have been following the debate on and off, may I submit a proposal for consideration. We are talking about LIGHT troops, basically on truck, for the excellent reasons SHAKA offered for Light Infantry: As light troops get hurt, if they do not fight from prepared positions, they don't need armoured vihikles, but truck with sandbags in the bottom in case the hit a mine. If the light infantry is lorry mounted, it is logical to lorry mount light artillery and tow the gun. The Baltic countries were given some old Danish 155mm Howitzers, because they have a curved trajectory - applicable in woods. Now: If the towed piece is a 155mm howitzer can it: a. Be used as a canon with limited range? Probably yes. b. Be used as an antitankgun from a prepared position with another shell (in case the nasties are so unfair to use tanks) ? I don't know. c. Be used as a mortar (breach loaded) with a 155mm shell. the shell should in essence be a mortar shell and the propellant charge reduced accordingly. The range would of course be less, but would provide the bang SHAKA desires (where is he by the way - I haven't seen blood spilled in a while - miss him). A mortar shell gives more bang, as far as I know, than a comparable caliber canonshell, because it is more lightly stressed, thus can be made thinner and have more explosive. Reactions???

..The South africans use wheeled artillary, forgot the name, is 155mm with range 28kn... IIRC G5- towed G6- SP and reportedly able to hit a fly on a wall at the range you cited, PLUS take out the wall However, since the new government since the end of Apartheid has deicimated the armed forces, one can make a case that these might not be up to snuff anymore since it takes training and money to keep these pieces in working order. swhitebull