Credit
Staff Sgt. Vance · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified
FORCETALLY
Loading the evidence…
Preparing your view.
Preparing your view.
At a glance
M198 howitzerlarger figure on 1 of 1
M61 Vulcanlarger figure on 0 of 1
Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.
Measured figures
Combat
Single sourceTravel
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | M198 howitzer | M61 Vulcan |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Towed howitzer[source] | Rotary cannon[source] |
| Place of origin | United States[source] | United States[source] |
| In service | 1979–present[source] | 1959–present[source] |
| Used by | See Operators[source] | United States, some NATO members, Japan , South Korea , Saudi Arabia , and others |
Combat: 11 m (36 ft 2 in) Travel: 12.3 m (40 ft 6 in)[source]
Length
Single source71.93 in (1.827 m)[source]
Travel
Single sourceTravel: 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)[source]
Travel
Single sourceTravel: 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)[source]
enlisted men
Single source9 enlisted men[source]
Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| Wars | Lebanese Civil War Gulf War Somali Civil War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Iraq War War in Iraq (2013-2017) Syrian Civil War 2025 Cambodia‒Thailand conflict 2026 Afghanistan-Pakistan war[source] | Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Gulf War War in Afghanistan Iraq War War in Iraq (2013–2017) Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen Turkish military operation in Idlib Governorate Russo-Ukrainian War[source] |
|---|
| Designed | 1968–1977[source] | 1946[source] |
|---|
| Manufacturer | Rock Island Arsenal (US)[source] | General Dynamics Sumitomo Heavy Industries SNT Dynamics[source] |
|---|
| Unit cost | US$ 527,337[source] | — |
|---|
| Produced | 1978–1992[source] | — |
|---|
| No. built | 1,600+[source] | — |
|---|
| Shell | Separate loading charge and projectile[source] | — |
|---|
| Breech | Interrupted screw[source] | — |
|---|
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic[source] | — |
|---|
| Carriage | Split trail[source] | — |
|---|
| Elevation | −5° to +72°[source] | — |
|---|
| Traverse | 45°[source] | — |
|---|
| Designer | — | General Electric[source] |
|---|
| Variants | — | See below[source] |
|---|
| Cartridge | — | 20×102mm Vulcan[source] |
|---|
| Barrels | — | 6-barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 9 grooves)[source] |
|---|
| Action | — | Hydraulically operated , electrically fired, rotary cannon[source] |
|---|
| Feed system | — | Belt or linkless feed system[source] |
|---|
| Reported operators |
| — |
|---|