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Introduction

1.1 STUDY ORIGINATION

In the U.S. House of Representatives report that accompanied the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, Congress directed the Secretary of the Army to commission the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to produce a consensus report on the feasibility of the U.S. Army’s Strategic Long Range Cannon (SLRC) program. This congressionally mandated study was conducted under the auspices of the Board on Army Research and Development. The study can be summarized as an evaluation of the feasibility of the U.S. Army’s SLRC program with focus on the propellant, projectiles, and electromagnetic launch, as well as the cannon itself. The statement of task is highlighted in Box 1-1.

The statement of task specifically focuses on the work of the Army Futures Command (AFC) Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) Cross-Functional Team (CFT).

Historically, U.S. air superiority has afforded the Army extraordinary latitude to conduct its operations, but new long-range surface-to-air missile systems, such as the Russian S400 that North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally Turkey plans to buy, increasingly place the air umbrella at risk. The Army’s response to that capability overmatch is that it must be able to reach targets that that subsonic and low supersonic air breathing systems (i.e., platforms) will no longer be able to attack reliably. Army doctrine, acquisition, and research thinking is firmly rooted in joint Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), leaving officials to conclude the SLRC is a fundamental capability requirement moving forward for the Joint Force.

The statement of task establishes the basis for the National Academies’ contractual requirements for the study, and the Committee on Assessing the Feasibility of the Strategic Long Range Cannon was required to stay within the scope of its work as set forth in the statement of task. Therefore, the committee examination and subsequent evaluation focused on the four tasks outlined in the statement of task. This report includes findings and recommendations on key issues.

1.2 OVERVIEW OF THE STRATEGIC LONG RANGE CANON PROGRAM

In 2017, the U.S. Army established AFC and a number of CFTs. The goal of the CFTs is to push forward key technologies rapidly to advance the next generation of weapons capabilities. The LRPF CFT is one of the efforts initiated to advance the next generation of Army artillery. The objective of the LRPF program is to harness an artillery capable of a strategic deep-strike within an adversary’s defenses. This effort has produced the SLRC program,

which is currently working towards its goal of a firing range of greater than 500 miles. The SLRC program’s ultimate goal is to produce a technologically mature weapons system and ammunition that dramatically increases the range of Army artillery. This capability would boost the Army’s long-range precision fires inventory. At the present, the SLRC program is conducting research and technical testing with the goal demonstrating capability by the end of fiscal year 2025.

The SLRC surface-to-surface capability is based on two complementary systems. The primary system is the hypersonic projectile. The secondary system is the actual strategic cannon. The cannon will be required to deliver projectiles in a volley of fire in order to destroy a soft target.

1.3 THE COMMITTEE’S APPROACH

The committee conducted the assessment in phases. The Phase 1 controlled unclassified information (CUI) report included statement of task items 3 and 4, and the Phase 2 classified report assessed statement of task items 1 and 2. The CUI report was published before the classified report, due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Phase 2 classified meetings addressed outstanding questions from the Phase 1 CUI report.

The committee not only wanted to understand the SLRC program, but also what other work within the Army and Department of Defense (DoD) entities is ongoing, and how those programs compare to the SLRC program’s advances and approaches. The committee solicited presentations from the Army, Air Force, Navy, DoD, DoD laboratories, and industry. The five facets of this study that affect the scope of the committee’s work pertains to the following:

• AFC LRPF and U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center (AC) for program management and technical presentations.
• Industry partners and DoD laboratories directly connected to SLRC development and testing.
• Other DoD Hypersonic weapons programs (DoD, Air Force, Navy).

• Industry and DoD laboratories with no SLRC development role for an independent discussion of capabilities and risks.
• Service Intelligence Centers for classified relevant analyses that evaluate strategic, operational, and tactical battlefield effects, cost-effectiveness, comparative value, and contribution of the SLRC to both MDO and Joint All-Domain Operations.

Initially, the committee wanted to examine the possibility of electromagnetic launch and engaged the Navy to understand electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) capabilities. The committee realized this launch capability was not relevant to the SLRC system, but appreciated the Navy’s perspective and lessons learned regarding their EMRG program.

1.3.1 Committee Meetings and Presentations

In support of this study, the committee obtained information and perspectives from a number of sources discussed above. These presentations were held virtually (via various digital meeting platforms) and in person, which allowed the committee to hear the presentations, pose questions, and receive answers in real time. Appendix B of this report identifies the various presentations made to the committee.

1.3.2 Report Structure

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the report to include the project origination, a summary of the SLRC program, the committee’s approach, and a description of how the report is organized. Chapter 2 describes the operational environment and current development efforts for the SLRC. Chapter 3 focuses on the evaluation of key and essential technologies.