The M198 155mm towed howitzer was developed from 1968 to 1976 and produced from 1978 to 1992 at Rock Island Arsenal. More than 1,600 howitzers were produced for the Army, Marine Corps, and allied armies. Weighing just under 16,000 pounds, it could be air-dropped by parachute or transported by a CH-53E Super Stallion or CH-47 Chinook helicopter. In 1990 and 1991, the Army and Marine Corps used the M198 in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. Engineering support for the system was provided at Picatinny Arsenal. It was later replaced in the Army and Marine Corps by the M777 howitzer.