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27 March 2006

On time or on target

but seldom both at the same time.

An old joke at the expense of gunners everywhere but likely not an accurate description of the crew manning this 155 mm howitzer from A Battery, 1 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. (Photo: Louie Palu/The Globe and Mail)

The M777 howitzer is brand new, being fielded this year by the Canadian army, the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps.

At less than 10, 000 pounds, the M777 is light in weight but packs all the punch of a 155 mm system. At Charge 8, the M777 has a range of 24.7 kilometres; it rocket-assisted rounds can reach ranges up to 30 kilometres.

Some Canadian critics of the army and its performance claim the Canadian military lacks modern, capable equipment.

The critics need to update their information.