The new projectile is intended to replace the legacy M549A1 rocket projectile developed in the 1970s. “It’s going to replace the legacy M549A1 rocket projectile that was developed in the 1970s,” said Steve Flores, YPG Long Range Precision Fire Integrator.
Engineers are assessing whether the round can withstand the stress of firing while maintaining reliability and compatibility with future, larger cannons. “We are testing a new, one-piece joint with a base closure on the end,” said Jonathan Armijo, test officer. “It is a characterization test of the strength of the design, how the projectile holds up to the stresses of firing and how the rocket performs.”
Although similar in appearance to existing 155 mm rounds, the NGRAP features a larger rocket designed to operate under extreme conditions. “We have standard charges we upweight with extra propellant to try to reach the maximum permissible pressure for these cannons to put these bullets through the highest amount of stress that they would see in this caliber tube,” Armijo said. “It is a stress test.”
Capturing precise performance data from rounds traveling about one mile per second requires high-speed cameras capable of recording up to 100,000 frames per second, along with radar and tracking systems that follow each projectile to its target. After firing, teams recover the rounds for detailed inspection to measure changes caused by launch forces.
“We will recover the rounds to measure post gun launch dimensions,” Armijo said.
Test leaders say YPG’s vast range space, technical expertise and favorable climate make it well suited for extended-range artillery trials. “There’s year-round good weather here,” said William Gardner, Next Generation Rocket Assisted Projectile test lead. “We consider it a top-notch facility that has very good applicability toward extended range tests.”
Army officials describe YPG as central to modernization efforts, noting that live testing in natural environments cannot be replicated in laboratories, conditioning chambers or computer simulations.
