American Ordnance to supply 155mm M795 HE shells to Austria and Lebanon.

American Ordnance has received a $56.9 million contract modification for foreign military sales of 155mm HE projectile M795 TNT rounds. The contract, announced on 21 September by the U.S. Department of Defense, provides ammunition to Austria and Lebanon. The estimated contract completion date is December 2021.

155mm M795 HE shell (Picture source: U.S. Army)

Weighing 46.7 kg, the M795 155mm projectile is the US Army and US Marine Corps' standard 155mm high explosive (HE) projectile for howitzers. It is a bursting round with fragmentation and blast effects. The M795 is designed to be a more lethal, longer range (22.5 km) version of the M107. A welded band replaced the swaged rotating band of the M107 allowing the M795 to be fired with M119, or M203 propelling charges generating 6,000 meters more range. The explosive payload was also improved as was the fragmentation pattern, giving 30% higher lethality.

The 155mm is a standard round for heavy mobile and towed artillery used by countries across the world. The order will be used in platforms such as Austria's GC-45 h and Lebanon's M198 howitzers.