The XM2001 Crusader was to be the United States Army's next generation self-propelled howitzer, designed to provide significant increases in artillery survivability, lethality, mobility, and operational effectiveness. In early May 2002, United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld cancelled the US$11 billion program because he considered it neither sufficiently mobile nor precise enough for modern requirements.

The Crusader was intended to displace the M109A6 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer and the M992A2 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicle (FAASV). It was intended to be a fully-automated cannon artillery system to support the Initial Brigade Combat Teams (IBCT) Counterattack Corps and a critical technology enabler for future systems.

In addition to strategic deployability (two Crusaders could fit in a C-17 Globemaster), other key features of the Crusader included:

• the XM297E2 integral mid-wall cooled cannon that enabled sustained high rates of fire;
• a reliable, fully automated ammunition handling and loading system designed to use the modular artillery charge system and automatic inductively set multi-option fuze;
• a state-of-the-art cockpit with embedded command and control that allows the crew to exploit the system's full battle capabilities;
• embedded training and diagnostics to facilitate skill retention and maintenance support;
• composite armor;
• a suite of survivability features to protect the soldier and the system; and
• the LV100-5 gas turbine engine (common with the Abrams tank) that provides the improved mobility to keep pace with the supported maneuver force.

RSVs enable automatic, reciprocal transfer of ammunition, data and fuel to the SPH or another RSV to maintain required firing rates and enable autonomous operations while capitalizing on the cost and operational advantages of common components. RSV critical technologies and capabilities include an automated docking boom, ammunition resupply system, fuel transfer system, improved mobility, and embedded training and diagnostics.

General Characteristics

	SPH	RSV-T	RSV-W
Curb Weight	40 tons	36 tons	33.3 tons
Length	7.53 m	7.53 m	11.03 m
Width	3.31 m	3.31 m	2.44 m
Height	3.00 m	3.00 m	3.59 m
Cross-Country Mobility	39-48 km/h	39-48 km/h	64 km/h
Armament	Cooled 155mm	none	none
Max Range	40-50km (assisted)
Rate of Fire/Resupply	10-12 rounds/min	48 rounds/10.4min	48 rounds/10.4min
Crew	3	3	3

• Prime Contractors: United Defense, L.P. (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Foreign Counterpart: No known foreign counterpart
• Foreign Military Sales: None
• Program Status
  • 1QFY95 Approved to commence program definition and risk reduction (PDRR) phase.
  • 2QFY98 In-process review completed and manufacture of the PDRR prototype systems begun.
  • 3QFY99 Delivered first RSV prototype.
  • 2QFY00 Delivered first prototype howitzer SPH 1.
  • 1QFY02 Successful preliminary design review.
  • 1QFY02 More than 4000 rounds fired from SPH 1.
  • 2QFY02 Program cancelled.
• Projected Activities
  • 2QFY03 Milestone B scheduled.
  • 2QFY06 Milestone C scheduled.
  • 3QFY08 First unit equipped.