WARREN, Mich. – The U.S. Army is buying upgraded and fast-moving large-caliber field artillery cannons with digital vetronics and modern power systems, as well as their companion carrier ammunition tracked armored combat vehicles under terms of a $77.1 million order announced in December.
Officials of the Army Contracting Command-Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Mich., are asking the BAE Systems Platforms & Services segment in York, Pa., for production of M109A7 155-millimeter self-propelled howitzers, M992A3 vehicles, and kits to help deploy these vehicles.
The M109A7 is the newest M109 version for U.S. military service. Formerly known as the M109A6 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) version, the M109A7 uses the existing main armament and cab structure of a Paladin M109A6 self-propelled artillery system, and replaces the vehicle’s chassis components with modem components common to the M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
The M992A3 is a modernized variant of the U.S. Army's M992 field artillery ammunition supply vehicle that transports and transfers 155-millimeter ammunition pallets, charges, and primers directly to the M109A7 in combat.
Upgraded artillery
Recent upgrades enable the M109A7 artillery to keep pace with the Army's fast-moving armored brigade combat team (ABCT) alongside the M1 Abrams main battle tank and the M2 Bradley armored personnel carrier.
The M109A7 program enhances the reliability, maintainability, performance, responsiveness, and lethality of the M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer and M992A2 ammunition carrier.
The M109A7 is the primary indirect fire support system for the Army's armored brigade combat teams. Its improved chassis provides greater survivability and commonality with existing armored combat vehicles. The program seeks to reduce maintenance costs by replacing obsolete components.
The M109A7 has an advanced onboard digital fire control system that integrates several sensors and computers for precise targeting and firing. This system automatically computes firing for shoot-and-scoot operations where the vehicle can halt, fire accurately within 30 seconds, and relocate rapidly.
Key elements include an inertial navigation unit combined with GPS for real-time position and orientation data for sub-meter accuracy even while moving. A digital ballistic computer processes variables like muzzle velocity, environmental conditions, and powder charge for first-round hit probability.
GPS-guided artillery shells
The system interfaces with GPS-guided projectiles like the Excalibur round, where target coordinates and fuse settings are uploaded via an enhanced portable inductive artillery fuse setter before launch for long-range strikes with less than 2-meter circular error.
Electric gun drives replace older hydraulics for automated elevation and azimuth pointing, backed by manual overrides, while diagnostics pinpoint faults. Integration with the International Field Artillery Tactical Data System (IFATDS) enables networked fire missions coordinated at battery or battalion level.
The M109A7 capitalized on today's advanced technologies like a state-of-the-art digital backbone and power generation capability, BAE Systems officials say. The M109A7 can fire high-explosive shells or parachute-equipped battlefield illumination flares.
Legacy M109 howitzers first are shipped to the Anniston Army Depot, Ala., where they are disassembled to provide cab structures, overhauled gun and cannon assemblies, and other vehicle components, and re-shipped to BAE Systems combat vehicle factory in York, Pa., for final assembly.
Power electronics
The M109A7's on-board power systems harness technologies originally developed for the cancelled Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon. It has an electric drive that is faster than the previous hydraulic system, and has an automatic rammer for consistent velocities and accuracy.
The newest version of the M109 self-propelled cannon has a 600-volt power system to accommodate additional armor and future networking technologies. The gun can sustain a one round per-minute rate of fire and a maximum rate of fire of four rounds per-minute.
The first M109A7 low-rate production deliveries began in April 2015. Ultimately Army leaders want to buy 133 of the self-propelled cannons.
On this order BAE Systems will do the work at locations to be determined with each order. For more information contact BAE Systems Platforms & Services online at www.baesystems.com/en-us/product/m109a7, or the Army Contracting Command-Detroit arsenal at https://acc.army.mil/contractingcenters/acc-dta/.
