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The M109 is an American self-propelled 155 mm Howitzer , first introduced in the early 1960s . Continually upgraded and improved, to today's current version the '''M109A6 "Paladin"''', it is still the primary Indirect-fire support weapon of maneuver brigades of armored and mechanized infantry divisions of the US Army , Israel Defense Forces , the Italian Army , and many other militaries, including the Norwegian , Swiss , Danish , Pakistani , Dutch (see picture) and Austrian armies. A number of European armies are currently replacing the M109 with the PzH2000 which significantly outperforms it in most aspects. Significant upgrades have been introduced by the US (PALADIN) and Switzerland (KAWEST). With the cancellation of the CRUSADER-Project in the US, the Paladin will remain the principal self-propelled howitzer for years to come. The crew of the M109 consists of a section chief, driver, gunner, three cannoneers who load and fire the weapon and two gunners who handle the Ammunition. The M109A6 Paladin needs only one cannoneer and two ammunition handlers for a total crew of six. HISTORY The M109 saw its combat debut in Vietnam. Israel used the M109 in the war against Egypt in 1973 and in the Lebanon war of 1982. Iran used the M109 in the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. The M109 saw service with the British Army in the Gulf War of 1991. The M109 again saw service with the US Army in both wars against Iraq (1991 and 2003). General characteristics
VARIANTS M109 .]] First produced in 1963, with 155mm M126 gun in the M127 Howitzer Mount. M109A1 Replaced M126 with longer barreled M126A1 gun for greater effective range. M109A2 Incorporating 27 Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) mid-life improvements. Most notably, the long barreled 155mm M185 gun in the M178 gun mount, ballistic protection for the panoramic telescope, counterbalanced travel lock, and the ability to mount the M140 alignment device. M109A3 M109A1s rebuilt to M109A2 standard. Some A3s feature three contact arm assemblies while all A2s have five. M109A4 Product improved variant with Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical/ Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (NBC/RAM) improvements, including air purifiers, heaters, and Mission Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) gear. The traversing mechanism's clutch is now hydraulic, as compared to the electric mechanism on previous M109s, and features a manual override in the event of an electrical failure. The A4 also adds an additional hydraulic filter, for a total of two. Also included, is an improvement to the engine starting equipment, greatly improving the ability to start in an emergency. M109A5 Replaces M185 gun in M178 gun mount with 155 mm M284 gun in the M182 gun mount, giving the A5 even greater range than before. M109A6 "Paladin" Overall product improvement in the areas of Survivability, RAM, and armament. This includes increased armor, redesigned {Link without Title} internal stowage arrangement for ammunition and equipment, engine and suspension upgrades, and product improvement of the M284 gun and M182 mount. M109 "KAWEST" Swiss improved Version produced by Ruag incorporating a new Swiss designed L47 155mm Gun, new GPS-independent navigational system coupled with a new fire control system and more ammunition storage. Crew is cut from 8 to 6. Crews are trained to fire a burst of three rounds in 15 seconds. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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