Army Technology

Daily Newsletter

10 November 2023

Daily Newsletter

US Army orders greater production of Paladin howitzers and ammunition vehicles

Having begun full-rate production of the latest Paladin systems in June 2022, BAE Systems is on its way to delivering its target of 598 vehicle sets.

John Hill November 10 2023

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has modified a contract with BAE Systems on 9 November 2023 to continue the production and delivery of Paladin M109A7 self-propelled howitzers and M992A3 Carrier Ammunition Vehicles (CAVs).

Under a contract worth $63.9m, BAE Systems, the original equipment manufacturer of the ground vehicles, will fulfil the order at its facility in York, Pennsylvania, aiming to deliver the systems to Army Contracting Command by 30 December 2027.

Originally prototyped in May 2011, the contractor achieved for full-rate production for the latest Paladin artillery system, the M109A7 version, alongside its upgraded M992A3 CAV, to the US Army at the end of June 2022.

The modernisation of the M109A7 includes upgrades to the hull, turret, engine, and suspension systems, offering increased reliability, survivability and performance over the M109A6 artillery system.

The vehicle is controlled by a crew of four and has an overall length of 9.7m, width of 3.9m, height of 3.3m and maximum gross weight of 35,380kg.

The Army intends to procure 580 sets of the Paladin vehicles, which are expected to sustain until 2050.

Currently, the intelligence consultancy GlobalData tells us that the Army has so far acquired 231 units of the latest M109A7 howitzer and another 231 M992A3 CAVs.

Meanwhile, the service still holds on to 198 M109A6 units and another 198 M992A3 vehicles. The Army plans to increase the M109A6 and the M992A2 platforms’ sustainability through 2050, upgrading the legacy fleet.

Moreover, M109A7 artillery system is armed with a 155mm M284 cannon with an M182A1 gun mount and an automated loader. The 155mm artillery system can fire at a sustained rate of one round a minute whereas the maximum rate of fire is four rounds a minute. The system has a range of 22km with standard projectiles and 30km with rocket-assisted projectiles.

The artillery system offers key fire support for a variety of potential combat missions conducted by the US Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Teams in conventional, hybrid, irregular and counter-insurgency combat environments.

Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) are beginning to see combat deployment

The recent introduction of hypersonic missiles into the global threat matrix has led some observers to consider the potential of DEW as an effective countermeasure to this emerging technology. Consequently, the DEW market presents significant potential for growth due to rising global demand and extensive opportunities for technological innovation, though the exorbitant cost of most DEW systems poses its own challenges, most notably higher financial risk during R&D as well as a relatively limited pool of viable customers.