General Atomics to Build 70+ km 155mm Artillery Shell for U.S. Army
New ERAP munition aims to extend artillery range, precision, and electronic warfare resilience as the U.S. military pushes for deeper battlefield strike capability
U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Gabriel Jenko, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems has signed a contract with the United States Army to develop a new 155mm artillery shell designed to extend range beyond 70 kilometers. The projectile is intended to combine long range, high precision, and resistance to electronic warfare, providing maneuver forces with deeper fire capability on the battlefield.
The company said the new shell is designed to strike targets beyond the conventional range of guided artillery rounds, using satellite-based navigation. According to a report by World Defense News, the U.S. Army is currently identifying a growing need for long-range precision fire systems capable of destroying targets that previously required rockets or missiles. The report also noted that the shell has undergone several test series, and that General Atomics is competing in this field with similar systems being developed by General Dynamics and BAE Systems.
The new system belongs to the Extended Range Artillery Projectile (ERAP) category. It is a standard 155mm shell equipped with a guidance kit in the nose and deployable wings that extend during flight. These wings provide stabilization, maneuverability, and trajectory control, allowing the munition to remain compatible with existing artillery systems while significantly improving performance.
In recent years, the U.S. Army has been exploring several development paths for long-range artillery, as part of efforts to extend the operational reach of 155mm guns. Previous reports indicate that parallel programs have already demonstrated ranges exceeding 70 kilometers, with some aiming for 100 kilometers or more. At the same time, the field has become increasingly competitive, combining advanced propulsion, precision guidance, and stronger resistance to electronic warfare.
The operational significance of such a shell is clear: artillery units would be able to engage distant targets without exposing themselves to close-range threats, providing ground forces with faster, more precise, and relatively lower-cost firepower compared to expensive guided missiles. For the U.S. Army, this forms part of a broader effort to adapt artillery to the modern battlefield, where range, accuracy, and system survivability are all becoming increasingly critical.