THAT’S THE SPIRIT: US unveils name for new mobile howitzer: ‘XM1776.’ “Speaking at a ceremony unveiling the weapon’s new name, Hanwha Defense USA President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Smith justified the name by harkening back to a decisive moment during the country’s founding, when the Continental Army rolled in mobile artillery batteries to overlook Boston Harbor in 1776, forcing the British fleet to withdraw. This marked the first strategic victory of what became U.S. forces, beginning a field artillery legacy that led to the XM1776’s unveiling 250 years later.”