The new military aid by the United States includes the M109 self-propelled guns (along with the long-awaited Bradley M2A2 IFV). During the military briefing, the press secretary of the US Department of Defense, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, noted that the 155-mm SPGs, which had been mentioned in the list of the upcoming military aid, are essentially the M109A6.
The main difference between the M109A6 Paladin, which appeared in the 90s, and the previous modifications (some of them are already used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine), is the upgraded armor, the engine and chassis modernization, the improvement of the gun itself, and the increase of ammunition to 39 shots. But the most important thing is the integration of the digital navigation system and the fire control system with the integration into a single control network. All this allows the M109A6 Paladin to conduct accurate fire 30 seconds after stopping the vehicle.
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These days such features distinguish modern self-propelled guns from others, as they allow to increase the effectiveness of fire several times. At the same time, the interior of the M109A6 Paladin has not undergone any changes.
The algorithm for working with the cannon has not changed and remains manual, the only thing that is automated is sending the projectile. And this system remains on the latest M109A7.
That is, the loader must remove the projectile and place it in front of the breech of the gun.
Then add the ejector charge. In the photo below, you can clearly see part of the combat arrangement with projectiles and charges, some of the projectiles are still fixed on the floor of the SPG.
Next, the gun is getting prepared for a shot and the unit executes it.
Then the cycle is repeated until the firing task is completed. Defense Express notes that despite the presence of digital systems, traditional means of guidance have not disappeared.
It is also possible to provide a video where you can see all aspects of the work of the unit.
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