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M109 Paladin
The M109 Paladin provides artillery support for armored and mechanized infantry divisions.
By Staff Writer
Much like the 1960's era M113 armored personnel carrier, the M109 Paladin self-propelled gun has enjoyed a unique and long service life thanks in large part to sound design and a never ending series of upgrade programs. With each new revision, the basic M109 has evolved into a more accurate and devastating system that has seen usage in multiple inventories across the globe. The M109 continues to serve in frontline functions with some of the most advanced and active armies of the world.
The M109 first appeared in 1962. System sported a similar chassis to the one used in the M108 self-propelled gun. The M109 is currently represented by the M109A6 variant, which features some modifications to previous M109's that include the M284 155mm main gun, computer fire-control system and the decrease of crew from six to four personnel. Three of the crew take up the turret and consist of the commander, gunner and loader whilst the driver maintains the controls in a forward hull position.
As mentioned, modernization programs have increased the accuracy and lethality of the M109 series as a whole. Additionally, the overall rate of fire has increased to a respectable four rounds per minute for up to three minutes sustained. Rocket-assisted munitions have helped to increase the effective range of the main gun while improvements to the NBC systems, overall systems reliability and computer assistance have helped in maintaining crew accuracy and survivability.
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Last Updated: 9/17/2008
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| Specifications for the M109A6 Paladin |
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Armored Vehicle Quick Profile |
Image Courtesy of the United States Army.
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| 1963 |
Designation: M109 Paladin
Classification Type: 155mm Self-Propelled Gun
Contractor: United Defense, LP, York, PA - USA
Country of Origin: United States
Number Built: Not Available |
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Operators: Austriam, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, South Korea, Kuwait, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, the United States and Venezuela.
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| Variants |
M109 - First production model
M109A1 - Longer Main Gun Barrel; Minor Overall Improvements.
M109A2 - Minor Improvements to M109A1
M109A3 - New gun mount and improved RAM-D
M109A4 - Improved NBC system; Also covers all updated M109A2 or M109A3 models.
M109A5 - Updated M109A4
M109A6 - Latest production model; New turret with automatic fire control system and added armor.
M109A3G - German Army export variant known as M109G.
M109L - Italian Army export variant
M109AL 'Doher' - Israeli Army export variant
M109L47 - United Arab Emirates and Swiss export variant featuring .47 caliber main gun barrel.
M992 FAASV - Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle (ammunition carrier).
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Dimensions:
