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Munitions

United States

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems

155mm M795 HE

The standard 155mm high-explosive artillery projectile fired by all current US towed and self-propelled howitzers, in surging production as the US Army expands 155mm shell output.

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-19

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

US ITAR-controlled

Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.

Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale

Fielded & proven

Operator data not public

Status: active · ~1,000,000 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

155 mm NATO artillery

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Overview

The M795 is General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems' 155mm high-fragmentation-steel (HF1) high-explosive projectile, filled with 23.8 lb of TNT or insensitive IMX-101 explosive and fitted with a gilding-metal rotating band for compatibility with all current and future towed and self-propelled 155mm howitzers, including the M198, M777 and M109 Paladin/PIM family already carried in this catalog. Per GD-OTS's own datasheet, it extends 155mm HE range from 17.5 km to 22.5 km (a 29 percent increase) versus the legacy M107 HE round, with GD-OTS citing a 100 percent lethality increase against personnel and an 80 percent increase against trucks over the M107. It can be fired up to top charge zone with the M203A1 propelling charge and is employed against personnel, light vehicles, electronic surveillance and target-acquisition equipment, supply points, C3 installations, and mechanized and armored forces. Over one million M795 rounds have been produced since introduction, and production has surged further with GD-OTS's new Camden, Arkansas load-assemble-pack facility (opened April 2025) targeting roughly 50,000 rounds per month as the US Army expands its 155mm shell base amid sustained demand from the Ukraine war.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters.	155 mm
Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.	11 kg Stronger than 32% of munitions
Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.	High-explosive (TNT or IMX-101 insensitive munition fill)
Max firing range Maximum range of the main gun or rocket artillery (with assisted/extended-range munitions where noted). Higher extends reach.	22.5 km

Munition

Round type, penetration, velocity and projectile data.

Munition specifications
Round type APFSDS (kinetic sabot), HEAT / multipurpose, HE-FRAG, canister or gun-launched ATGM.	HE (high explosive)
Effective range Practical engagement range of the round.	22,500 m Stronger than 62% of munitions

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.	1,000,000

Specifications compiled from public General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-19.

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