This US-manufactured 280mm-caliber artillery piece was developed in the 1950s for the express purpose of delivering a 15-kiloton nuclear device. The M65's design used the German K5 railroad gun as a starting point; it was first fielded in 1953 and it appeared in both Europe and the Korean Peninsula. The cannon required two specially designed tractor trucks for mobility, and the 83.3-ton combination could surprisingly achieve speeds of about 55km/h. The M65 cannon could be prepared for firing in 15 minutes, and the weapon's range was about 32km. At least 20 systems were produced, although the development of rocket- and missile-based nuclear artillery quickly made the M65 obsolete. Nevertheless, this ‘prestige' American weapon remained in service until 1963.