The Proof Gun System was developed by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center and recently installed at Yuma Test Center. The system allows gun tubes to be mounted and fired independently from howitzer chassis or other weapon systems.
Quentin Sorenson, a test officer with the Munitions and Weapons Division who oversaw installation of the system, said the design was intended for long-term use in harsh environments. “The idea was to build a system that would allow them to put a number of different tubes in,” Sorenson explained.
“There are no electronics, it’s hydraulic or mechanical,” he added. “It was specifically designed to sit out in the desert. They are hoping for a 30–50-year lifespan.”
According to the Army, funding for the system comes directly from efforts to increase overall production capacity for 155mm artillery rounds. The Army has set a target of producing 100,000 artillery rounds per month, with the Proof Gun System intended to assist in production testing.
Over recent months, crews at Yuma Test Center assembled, installed and conducted initial firing tests with the first of two planned systems. The installation required placement on a reinforced reaction mass built to withstand the forces generated during firing.
Jered Ford, chief of the Indirect Fire Modernization and Mines Branch, described the structure supporting the system. “The concrete is about 7 feet deep and contains rebar grids and a fabricated cage that houses the removable mounting rods designed to secure the Ground Engagement System adapter plate,” Ford said.
Sorenson said installation work required extensive preparation and securing procedures. “It took us most of the day to get the PGS on the reaction mass,” he said.
“We had to get the adapter plate cleaned up and prepared to emplace the saddle or lower portion, then we mounted the gun mount, or upper portion on top of that,” he added. “Then we spent the rest of the week making sure everything was securely locked down.”
Army crews used a large pneumatic wrench to tighten mounting bolts to 3,100 foot-pounds before constructing an access platform around the system. After installation, acceptance firing tests were conducted at multiple quadrant elevations.
“We fired at four QEs [quadrant elevations] just to make sure everything was good as we elevated up and down,” Sorenson said. “Most were done at zone five to introduce maximum shock and everything went well.”
A second Proof Gun System is expected to arrive in May. The current systems are configured for M776 tube sleeves, although the Army plans to expand compatibility with additional artillery tube types.
Army officials said the system is expected to reduce costs and simplify artillery testing procedures for industry and military users. Traditional testing currently requires deployment and maintenance of complete artillery platforms such as the M777A2, M199 or M109A6.
“You just swap the tubes in and out as you need and then you are not trying to constantly maintain a chassis because you have this one system that will handle everything,” Sorenson said.
“It minimizes set up costs and it minimizes the mechanical effort of keeping the whole system functioning when all we really need is the tube,” he added.
