Artillery

M485-series 155 mm illumination projectile

Also known as
  • M485
  • M485A1
  • M485A2
  • M485A2 Visible Light
  • 155 mm M485A2 illumination round
  • DODIC D505

The M485-series 155 mm illumination projectile is a U.S.-origin visible-light artillery round that ejects a parachute flare to light battlefield areas for artillery observers and maneuver forces. Army sources describe the M485A2 as an updated visible-light round built through the Pine Bluff and Crane ammunition base, while conflict investigators documented M485A2-marked remnants in Gaza in 2009 and 2023.

M485-series 155 mm illumination projectile, 155 mm illumination projectile, Artillery
Image source: Wikimedia Commons M485flare.jpg

Role in Conflicts

2008 Gaza War
Targeting Support
Side
Israel

Human Rights Watch documented marked 155 mm M485A2 illumination rounds outside homes in Khuza'a after Israeli operations in Gaza, tying the projectile family to Israeli artillery use during the 2008 Gaza War.

2023 Israel-Hamas War
Targeting Support
Side
Israel

Le Monde's 2023 Israel-Hamas War investigation says Israeli forces fired an M485 A2 illuminating shell near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, and the fragment matched the Israeli shell pattern in the article's forensic reporting.

Role details
Documented Army Entry

The Army ammunition portfolio treats the M485A2 as a standard 155 mm visible-light illumination round. Its official entry combines the round's role, supported U.S. weapon systems, and production background recorded by the Army.

FieldDocumented detail
DODICD505
U.S. weapon systemsM109A6 Paladin, 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryM109A6 Paladin and M777, 155 mm towed howitzer, ArtilleryM777 in the Army portfolio; M198/M199 compatibility is separately listed in the Yugoimport ammunition sheet.
Build noteArmy reporting describes Crane Army Ammunition Activity supplying parachute and candle assemblies to Pine Bluff Arsenal for M485A2 visible-light rounds.
Payload1,000,000 candlepower illumination, with public sources describing burn times from at least 100 seconds to approximately two minutes.

Sources: JPEO Ammunition Portfolio Book; U.S. Army Picatinny illumination projectile article; Yugoimport M485A2 M4A2 Data Sheet.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Type
155 mm illumination projectile
Service note
Cold War-era design still fielded
Designer
U.S. Army Combat Ammunition Systems
Designed
1985
Unit cost
Not publicly documented
Produced
March 1985-present
Number built
Not publicly disclosed

Specifications

Caliber
155 mm
DODIC
D505
Weight
90 lb (about 41 kg)
Maximum range
17.5 km
Illumination
1,000,000 candlepower
Burn time
100 seconds minimum
Fuze
Standard mechanical or electric time fuze
Visible And Infrared Illumination Lineage

Army reporting places the M485A2 inside a broader illumination-projectile family: visible-light M485A2 rounds, infrared M1066 rounds for night-vision users, and later extended-range M1123/M1124 projectiles that reused demilitarized DPICM shell bodies.

ProjectileIllumination typeDocumented context
M485A2Visible lightUpdated visible-light round built from the older M107 projectile-body family.
M1066InfraredEntered Army inventory in 2010 to provide illumination visible through night-vision equipment.
M1124Visible light, extended rangeDeveloped with reused DPICM shell bodies to extend illumination range compared with M485A2/M1066 rounds.

Source: U.S. Army Picatinny illumination projectile article.

Firing Platforms

Army and manufacturer ammunition references list the M485A2 as separate-loading ammunition for standard 155 mm howitzers rather than for a single proprietary gun.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
M109A6 Paladin, 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer, ArtilleryM109A6 Paladin155 mm self-propelled howitzer

The JPEO portfolio book lists the M485A2 with the M109A6 Paladin as one of its supported 155 mm weapon systems.

Sources: JPEO Ammunition Portfolio Book

M777, 155 mm towed howitzer, ArtilleryM777155 mm towed howitzer

The same Army portfolio entry lists the M777 alongside the M485A2 for 155 mm illumination use.

Sources: JPEO Ammunition Portfolio Book

M198 155 mm howitzer, 155 mm towed howitzer, ArtilleryM198 155 mm howitzer155 mm towed howitzer

Yugoimport's M485A2/M4A2 ammunition sheet lists weapon compatibility with M198/M199 155 mm howitzers.

Sources: Yugoimport M485A2 M4A2 Data Sheet

Timeline

M485-series 155 mm illumination projectile Key Events

  1. Materiel-release date

    The Army portfolio book gives the M485A2 a March 1985 materiel-release date and identifies it as DODIC D505.

    Sources: JPEO Ammunition Portfolio Book

  2. Extended-range illumination lineage approved

    Army reporting said the M1123 infrared and M1124 visible-light extended-range projectiles had reached Milestone C and Type Classification Standard after development work that reused demilitarized DPICM shell bodies.

    Sources: U.S. Army Picatinny illumination projectile article

  3. Army portfolio listing

    The JPEO ammunition portfolio still listed the M485A2 as a visible-light projectile for the M109A6 Paladin and M777 155 mm howitzers.

    Sources: JPEO Ammunition Portfolio Book

  4. Le Monde investigation

    Le Monde published its Al-Shifa shelling investigation, saying Israeli forces fired an M485A2 illuminating shell near the hospital and that fragments matched the Israeli shell pattern.

    Sources: Le Monde Al-Shifa shelling investigation

Media

M485-series 155 mm illumination projectile Images

M485-series 155 mm illumination projectile, 155 mm illumination projectile, Artillery - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons M107 M485A2.jpg
M485-series 155 mm illumination projectile, 155 mm illumination projectile, Artillery - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons M485flare.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
120 mm illumination ammunition, 120 mm illuminating ammunition, MunitionsMunitions120 mm illumination ammunition120 mm illuminating ammunition120 mm illumination ammunition is a heavy mortar munition class that ejects a parachute-retarded candle to light target areas for night observation, signaling, and fire adjustment. Nammo publishes a representative 120 mm illuminating round with time-fuze deployment at 500-700 meters, while U.S. Army sources identify visible-light M930 and infrared M983 cartridges for the M120A1 and M121 mortar systems. In the 2001 War in Afghanistan, U.S. Marines with Task Force Southwest fired 120 mm mortar illumination rounds from Bost Airfield to support Afghan government forces during combat operations in Helmand Province.
M721 60 mm visible light illumination cartridge, 60 mm visible-light illuminating mortar cartridge, MunitionsMunitionsM721 60 mm visible light illumination cartridge60 mm visible-light illuminating mortar cartridgeThe M721 is a U.S. 60 mm visible-light illuminating mortar cartridge for the M224/M224A1 lightweight company mortar system. Army ammunition materials describe a parachute-and-candle payload, an M776 mechanical time fuze, and roughly 300,000 candlepower for observation, fire adjustment, and signaling, while transfer and budget records place the round in Afghan and Iraqi partner-force ammunition channels.
Cartridge, 105 mm, Illuminating, M314, 105 mm howitzer-fired illuminating cartridge with parachute-retarded canister, MunitionsMunitionsCartridge, 105 mm, Illuminating, M314105 mm howitzer-fired illuminating cartridge with parachute-retarded canisterThe M314 is a U.S. 105 mm howitzer illumination cartridge family that ejects a flare canister under parachute for battlefield lighting. Army ammunition manuals list earlier M314-series rounds for M101/M102-era howitzers, while Army portfolio material identifies the M314A3 visible-light round as a 105 mm M119-series illumination cartridge with a semi-fixed case, time fuze, expelling charge, illuminant canister, and parachute assembly.
M824 60 mm illumination mortar projectile, 60 mm illumination mortar projectile, ArtilleryArtilleryM824 60 mm illumination mortar projectile60 mm illumination mortar projectileThe M824 is a 60 mm illumination mortar projectile in the Israeli mortar-ammunition lineage now carried in Elbit Systems Land's portfolio. Elbit says the round carries a parachute-retarded flare, burns for 35 seconds, reaches 2,200 m, uses a time fuze, and fires from smoothbore 60 mm mortar barrels. A 2010 Forecast International report listed IMI's M824 as an extended-range illumination round, and OSMP documented a tentative M824 in Gaza in July 2024 as a delivered and functioned munition.

Sources

JPEO Ammunition Portfolio BookPublisher: U.S. Army Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition | Note: Supports M485-series specifications, illumination function, and Pine Bluff Arsenal / Crane Army Ammunition Activity production background. | Accessed: 2026-07-01U.S. Army Picatinny illumination projectile articlePublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports M485A2 visible-light lineage, M1066 and M1124 context, and Crane/Pine Bluff production roles. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Yugoimport M485A2 M4A2 Data SheetPublisher: Yugoimport SDPR | Note: Supports M485A2 technical data and listed M109/M198/M199 weapon compatibility for the M4A2 charge configuration. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Human Rights Watch Rain of Fire reportPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 2008 Gaza War direct use: researchers documented M485A2-marked artillery illumination rounds in Khuza'a after Israeli operations in Gaza. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Le Monde Al-Shifa shelling investigationPublisher: Le Monde | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct use: Israeli forces fired an M485 A2 illuminating shell near Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons M485flare.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for the M485flare.jpg photograph. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons M107 M485A2.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and public-domain status for the M107 M485A2 photograph showing an M485A2 illumination projectile. | Accessed: 2026-07-01DVIDS Battle Kings Night Fire M485A2 imagePublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Public-domain image provenance for a U.S. Army soldier preparing an M485A2 illumination round during training at Marez Range, Mosul. | Accessed: 2026-07-01