M-753 (203mm)

In January 1975 the development of a 203mm caliber ammunition began to replace the outdated and imprecise M-422 projectiles. A projectile assisted by rocket was studied to improve the range and precision, a vital issue in the face of fear of damaging own troops or civilians with their use. Finally in 1981 the projectile M-753 was presented. This shell reduced the collateral damage up to 80% compared to the previous M-422, and improved the destructive power of the 203mm howitzer units up to 50%. The M-753 was a one-piece projectile that was packaged in a special high-security container that destroyed the projectile if it tried to open more than a certain number of times. M-753 could carry two different types of nuclear warheads, one with a yield from 1 to 10kt and another of reduced power with a maximum yield of 2kt. The projectiles had the “enhanced radiation” (ER) capability, also known as the “neutron bomb”, which consisted of increasing the radioactivity of a previously attacked area. A total of 550 projectiles of the two types were manufactured, which were removed from the US Army inventories in 1994, because after the fall of the USSR the United States Government considered that this tactical capacity was no longer necessary in artillery pieces.

M-753 gallery and more info