American ACS M109 Paladin: another horror of the racists
It is a modern automated weapon system that is able to react quickly to the appearance of targets, hit fairly maneuverable objects and at the same time well protected.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine received self-propelled artillery units M109, recently announced the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov. They replenished the 155-mm artillery fleet, which is already successfully used on the front line. These are the M777, FH70 and CAESAR howitzers.
One of the latest options for upgrading this ACS in the US Army is the M109A6 Paladin, so let’s talk about it in more detail.
M109A6 Paladin (‘Paladin’) is the fourth modernization of the original self-propelled howitzer, which entered service with the US Army in 1992. Despite the fact that the body and suspension remained the same as in the previous model M109, the rest of the equipment of the Paladin ACS underwent significant changes. In particular, a new radio station, an automated fire control system, an onboard ballistic calculator and navigation system, and a receiver of the NAVSTAR space radio navigation system were installed on it.
A fundamentally new fire control mechanism was also created, resembling an automatic anti-aircraft gun guidance system – it independently provides the howitzer with the required angle of elevation and horizontal guidance, focusing on the information processed by the sensors. The result is a modern automated weapon system that can respond quickly to targets, hit fairly maneuverable objects, and is much better protected.
The main weapon of this self-propelled unit is a 155-mm howitzer M284 with a barrel length of 39 calibers, mounted in the turret on the gun carriage M182A1. The firing range when using a conventional shot is 24,000 m, when firing active-jet projectiles the firing range increases to 30,000 m.
Charging is carried out by an automatic hydraulic system, but it is possible to install a semi-automatic charging system. The maximum rate of fire of the ‘Paladin’ is up to 4 shots per minute. A 12.7-mm M2 machine gun is mounted on the right side of the self-propelled howitzer turret as an additional weapon.
The crew consists of four people: commander, mechanic-driver, gunner and charger. M109A6 Paladin is able to operate independently without third-party technical assistance. After receiving a combat mission, the crew calculates the data required for firing, automatically unlocks the bracket lock, which locks the howitzer barrel in the stowed position, aims the weapon at the target and opens fire, then quickly changes position. By the way, after stopping the Paladin, it takes less than 60 seconds to prepare for the shooting.
In this case, the crew may not leave the car during the combat mission. Self-propelled howitzer is equipped with a system of protection against weapons of mass destruction, individual means of protection of the crew and air conditioning system. Additional protection against armor fragments formed when projectiles hit the turret is provided by the Kevlar inner lining.
The Paladin M109A6 howitzer can move at a top speed of 70 km / h and has a range of 405 km.
