Game Changer: Will The US Military Send The M109 Paladin To Ukraine?
ByStavros AtlamazoglouPublished
The war in Ukraine has shown that artillery remains the king of the battle. Both sides in the conflict rely heavily on long-range fire to inflict casualties and deny territory to the enemy. The M777 155mm howitzer has bolstered the long-range fire capabilities of the Ukrainian military. But for many, it is the formidable M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer that the Ukrainian military needs the most.
Introducing the M109 Paladin
Built by BAE Systems, the M109 Paladin weighs 27.5 tons and measures 30 feet in length. It has a crew of four, including a commander, driver, gunner, and ammunition handler and loader. The M109 Paladin is the A6 version of this self-propelled howitzer. The U.S. military operates more than 900 howitzers of this type.
The M109 Paladin is armed with the M284 155mm Howitzer. An M2 Browning .50 caliber heavy machine gun sits on the top of the vehicle. The M126 gun uses an M127 mounted with a fume extractor and a large muzzle brake to reduce recoil. A hydraulic system allows the crew to elevate the gun or traverse the turret, but there are also manual controls for emergency use.
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2022/05/game-changer-will-the-us-military-send-the-m109-paladin-to-ukraine/
