> Improved optics and computing allowed the M1 to fire inexpensive shells accurately for thousands of meters I don't buy it. Optics and computing might well he

> Improved optics and computing allowed the M1 to fire inexpensive shells accurately for thousands of meters I don't buy it. Optics and computing might well help but you're still dealing with crappy data like quantity and quality of the propellant that throws the shell and you can't account for that. Accuracy of unguided shells doesn't seem high - "An unguided shell will normally land within 267 meters of where it is aimed at maximum howitzer range (18 kilometers)." (https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htart/articles/20171104.aspx https://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htart/articles/20171104.as...) And of the estimates I've come across, this is one of the more generous in accuracy claimed. Guided shells by comparison aren't cheap - "at $68,000 per [excalibur] shell compared to an $800 unguided M777 shell," (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M982_Excalibur https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M982_Excalibur)