BAE SYSTEMS has revamped the venerable Paladin self-propelled howitzer, the M109A6 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) program, the company said.
The redesign is a semi-automated, air-conditioned and electronically controlled artillery system that will meet the needs of the Army’s Heavy Brigade Combat Teams (HBCTs), the company said at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual symposium in Washington,D.C., earlier this month. Adam Zarfoss, BAE’s director of artillery programs, said: “The M109A6-PIM is the next step in Paladin development to ensure this essential fire support system remains ready and sustainable for soldiers in the HBCT through its projected life beyond the year 2050.”
The M109A6-PIM uses the existing main armament and recently designed cab structure, while replacing outmoded chassis components with advanced components from the Bradley Combat Systems to increase sustainability and commonality across the HBCT, the company said. It also incorporates select technologies from the Future Combat Systems Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon, including an automated projectile loader and modern electric gun drive systems to replace the current hydraulically operated elevation and azimuth drives designed in the early 1960s.
The electric gun and ammunition handling components, as well as a micro-climate air conditioning system, will be powered by BAE’s Common Modular Power System (CMPS). CMPS, which will be installed on Stryker and has also been installed on High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) demonstrator vehicles, is based on architecture jointly developed by the Army Tank-Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center and the Program Executive Office – Ground Combat Systems.
The program will be executed as a public/private partnership between the Army’s Project Manager-HBCT, Anniston Army Depot, Ala., and BAE, leveraging both public and private sectors to ensure the best value for soldiers.
M109A6-PIM production would be performed at Anniston Army Depot, and BAE facilities in York, Pa.; Aiken, S.C.; and Elgin, Okla.