National Defense

US Army’s Old School Howitzer Gets A South Korean Replacement

Flickr/U.S. Department of War

The U.S. Army unveiled the XM1776 Monday, a modern replacement for its tired, aging M777 howitzers designed to give American troops more firepower and mobility on the battlefield.

Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano announced the XM1776 designation alongside Hanwha Defense CEO Michael Coulter at the Association of the United States Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington on Monday. The Army has already received its first prototype of the wheeled, self-propelled artillery system, which is intended to replace aging M777 towed howitzers in select formations, according to the Army.

Unlike the M777, which requires a separate vehicle to transport it, the XM1776 can move under its own power, potentially allowing American artillery crews to fire and relocate before enemy drones or precision-guided weapons can destroy their positions.

“Our adoption of South Korea’s innovative Mobile Tactical Cannon design is part of a broader strategy of upgrading our military capabilities with the best technologies available and doing it rapidly,” Robert Wilkie, co-chair of American Security Policy at the America First Policy Institute, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “This Administration is pushing our own defense contractors toward the same goal and streamlining procurement to make it possible.”

The new weapon is based on Hanwha’s K9 artillery family, although the American prototype uses a diesel-powered, wheeled Czech-made Tatra Force 8×8 chassis, Warsight reported, citing Hanwha. The chassis supports several diesel engine configurations, although Hanwha has not publicly identified the specific engine powering the American prototype.

“The new system will ultimately be manufactured in the United States,” James Hewitt, the director of strategic communications at Hanwha, told the DCNF. “Currently, the prototype systems will be produced in Korea and final integration will be done at Hanwha Defense USA’s facility in Alabama.”

The Pentagon referred to the U.S. Army, which did not respond to a request for comment.

The difference could prove critical in a war against Russia or China, where drones, surveillance systems and precision weapons threaten artillery crews that remain exposed for too long.

The M777 has served the American military for roughly two decades and weighs about 9,300 pounds, making it considerably lighter than Soviet-era artillery still used by Russian and Ukrainian forces, according to the Army. The Soviet-built Msta-B weighs roughly 15,000 pounds, while the even heavier Giatsint-B tips the scales at more than 21,000 pounds, according to CSIS and Ukraine’s National Defense University.

Despite its lighter design, the M777 cannot move on its own. Soldiers must hook it up to a towing vehicle before relocating, potentially leaving crews exposed to enemy drones and artillery strikes.

It takes approximately three minutes for the antiquated M777 to prepare for firing and another two to three minutes to pack up, according to the Army’s weapons portfolio. Those minutes can leave artillery crews vulnerable to enemy drones and counter-battery fire.

An American artillery officer warned that Russian forces can potentially identify and strike a target in just three minutes, according to an April 2026 article published in the Army’s Field Artillery journal. The officer argued that American artillery batteries must become faster at firing and relocating or risk destruction before escaping.

“This system improves survivability and lethality with increases in range, rate of fire, and mobility,” Hewitt told the DCNF. “The range and rate of fire exceeds current Army capabilities … There [are] 2,500 K9 family systems fielded globally, including NATO partners.”

The South Korean-designed replacement also promises greater firepower at longer distances, Defense News reported. The M777’s conventional effective range is approximately 15 miles, extending to 25 miles with specialized Excalibur ammunition, while the K9 family reportedly can reach beyond 37 miles with longer-range ammunition.

“The K9MH’s extended range allows for more survivability as it is fielded further from enemy positions,” Hewitt told the DCNF. “Additionally, the wheeled system allows for quicker emplacement and displacement reducing the time crew members are exposed and vulnerable.”

Greater range could allow American gunners to strike enemy targets from farther away while reducing their exposure to some counterattacks. The precise range and battlefield performance of the American K9-based prototype, however, remain subject to testing.

The Army awarded Hanwha Defense USA a four-year prototyping agreement in August with an initial value of approximately $100 million and a potential total value approaching $263 million, according to the Army. The agreement covers six initial cannons, with options for 12 additional systems.

Yet greater mobility does not necessarily guarantee survival against modern weapons.

Artillery crews in Ukraine increasingly operate from concealed positions, limit their firing missions and relocate when enemy reconnaissance threatens to expose them, according to the Royal United Services Institute. Even mobile artillery remains vulnerable when enemy drones can continuously observe the battlefield.

Traditional artillery nevertheless remains essential because conventional shells can deliver greater explosive force against fortified positions and operate when bad weather or electronic warfare interferes with drones, according to the Royal United Services Institute.

The Army plans to test the new cannons under realistic combat conditions before deciding whether to deploy them, according to the Army. Military leaders hope to field an operational version by 2031, with Stryker brigades expected to receive priority, Defense News reported, citing Army planning documents.

“This is an example of American First not meaning America Alone and nothing more,” Wilkie told the DCNF. “South Korea is a key ally whom we have long shared military capabilities with and for whom interoperability can provide strategic advantagesCoupled with the President’s trade and economic policies that are rebuilding our defense industrial base, and we are quickly rebuilding our capacity for a state of the art arsenal that can scale as needed.”