Soldiers get rare chance to see Paladins cause destruction

[unhappycamper]

Paladin crews line up to fire their 155mm guns at targets up to 1,750 yards away in the surrounding mountains at Rodriguez Range last week.


Soldiers get rare chance to see Paladins cause destruction
By Erik Slavin, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Tuesday, January 15, 2008

RODRIGUEZ RANGE, South Korea — Soldiers on the range Thursday were asking each other about the last time the Paladin Howitzer was used like they were using it.

Certainly not in the last three years, they said. And the range managers couldn’t remember it done in the last 10 years.

Pity the poor wooden and metal targets that were the first in at least a decade to take direct fire from the 155 mm guns of the 2nd Infantry Division’s 1st Battalion, 15th Field Artillery.

Normally, Paladins indirectly fire their weapons in an arc that can strike a target up to 10 miles away.

This time, Paladin crews got to use their guns the way tank crews do: eyeballing a target and firing away.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51624



uhc comment: Meet the M109A6 Paladin:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m109a6.htm




M109A6 Paladin Self Propelled Howitzer

The M109A6 Paladin is the latest advancement in 155mm self-propelled artillery. The system enhances previous versions of the M109 by implementing onboard navigational and automatic fire control systems. Paladin has both a Kevlar-lined chassis and a pressurized crew compartment to guard against ballistic, nuclear, biological, and chemical threats.

The Paladin M109A6 howitzer is the fourth product improvement to the original M109 self-propelled (SP) howitzer. It features improvements in the areas of survivability; reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM); responsiveness; and terminal effects. The M109A6 is an armored, full tracked howitzer carrying 37 complete conventional rounds and two Copperhead projectiles. It is operated by a crew of four. It is designed with a new turret structure that facilitates integration of the various turret improvements and vulnerability reduction measures. It improves overall crew compartment layout and space. The howitzer can travel at a maximum speed of 38 miles per hour and has a maximum cruising range of 186 miles.

The M109A6 is the most technologically advanced cannon in the Army inventory. This weapon has a 4 man crew, and weights approximately 62,000 lbs/32 tons, and has a cruising range of 186 miles, Max speed is 35 MPH, It has a fuel capacity of 133 gals. The Paladin can operate independently, from on the move, it can receive a fire mission, compute firing data, select and take up its firing position, automatically unlock and point its cannon, fire and move out - all with no external technical assistance. Firing the first round from the move in under 60 seconds, a "shoot and scoot" capability protects the crew from counterbattery fire. The M109A6 Paladin is capable of firing up to four rounds per minute to ranges of 30 kilometers. The Paladin features increased survivability characteristics such as day/night operability, NBC protection with climate control and secure voice and digital communications. The crew remains in the vehicle throughout the mission.

The Paladin is designed to accept new technologies increasing firing range, rate of fire, and accuracy. TACOM-ARDEC, in order to maintain the state-of-the-art in artillery technologies, is continuing to develop enhancements adaptable to Paladin, such as a 52 caliber gun, Modular Artillery Charge System (MACS), and a laser ignition system.

The Paladin is an example of equipment bridging the gap between current systems and those planned for the future. It dramatically increases the responsiveness, survivability and flexibility of self-propelled cannon artillery. Adding advanced technology to a 1950s chassis, the Paladin begins a revolution in the way the field artillery fights. Using computers, the Paladin can determine its own position on the ground and compute its own firing data. Single-channel ground-air radios permit voice and digital communication with the platoon's operation center and with other howitzers in the platoon.


And the best part is it can travel 186 miles on 133 gallons of fuel.