US Army Continues Modernization of Artillery Systems
BAE Systems has been awarded a contract worth $418 million for the delivery of M109A7 self-propelled artillery systems along with M992A3 ammunition carriers. It is a prolongation of the initial contract awarded in 2017 for the delivery of the M109A7 systems to the US Army. This most recent order brings the total contract value to $2.5 billion.
The M109A7 is the latest modification of the M109 system building on the M109A6. The design includes a new chassis, engine, transmission, suspension, steering system, a new high-voltage architecture, and improved survivability. The vehicle suspension system shares common traits with the one used in the M2 Bradley IFV family. The M109A7 is equipped with M284 155mm howitzer utilizing standardized NATO munitions. M109A7 and M992A3 production and support take place at the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama and BAE Systems facilities in York, Pennsylvania; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Endicott, New York; Elgin, Oklahoma; and Aiken, South Carolina.
The M109A7 is the latest howitzer in the BAE Systems M109 family of vehicles and the primary indirect fire support system for the Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCT). The division-level fire support, however, is going to consist of the newest M1299 howitzers currently in development. The US Army aims to obtain about 700 M109A7 self-propelled howitzers. The supporting M992A3 ammunition carriers entering service along the modernized M109 system will enable the utilization of Paladins until the 2050s. The Paladin remains the main conventional artillery system used by the US Army with more than a thousand of M109s in A6 and A7 variants in service.