Noise levels may increase at Fort Jackson | News

FORT JACKSON, SC -- Explosive noise on Fort Jackson will increase Saturday when the South Carolina Army National Guard practices with its M-109, 155mm Howitzers at Camp McCrady. 

Camp McCrady will host the 1st Battalion, 178th Field Artillery and the exercise will last all day Saturday and into the night. 

The South Carolina National Guard makes every effort to minimize noise but there are times such as this when noise may seem louder than normal to the public and as the wind shifts direction or cloud cover reflects the sound back to the ground. 

The 155-mm M109 series, Self-propelled medium howitzers are highly mobile combat support weapons. They are air transportable in phase III of airborne operation. They have a cruising range of 220 miles at speeds up to 35 miles per hour. Combat loaded, The M109 series weighs 27.5 tons. The M109A2/A3/A4 howitzer uses M185 cannon and achieves a range of 23,500 meters. The replacement of the 23 caliber long barrel with the M284 cannon 39-caliber barrel on the M109A5/A6 increased the range capability to 30,00 meters. The 155-mm Projectile weights 98 pounds.

The howitzer is a vehicle that provides armored combat support, is air transportable, internally loaded, and has excellent ground mobility. It allows firing in a 360 degree circle through its primary armament, the 155mm cannon assembly, and its secondary armament, the M2 heavy barrel caliber 50 machine gun. The system is capable of both direct (line of sight) and indirect (out of the line of sight) firing.