BAE Systems Land and Armaments LP, York, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $579,309,813 cost-no-fee contract for M109A7 (formerly known as the M109A6 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM)) 155 mm Turreted Self-propelled Howitzer (SPH), M992A3 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicle (FAASV) and fielding kits. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Aiken, South Carolina; Elgin, Oklahoma; and Anniston, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2029. Fiscal 2023 and 2024 weapons and tracked combat vehicle procurement, Army funds in the amount of $265,807,177 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
The M109 is a 155 mm turreted self-propelled howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s to replace the M44. The M109 family is the most common Western indirect-fire support weapon of maneuver brigades of armored and mechanized infantry divisions. The M109 has a crew of four: the section chief/commander, the driver, the gunner, and the ammunition handler/loader. The chief or gunner aims the cannon left or right (deflection) and up and down (quadrant). The newest M109 version for U.S. service is the M109A7. The M109A7 shares common chassis components with the Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) such as the engine, transmission, and tracks. This creates commonality with other systems and maximizes cost savings in production, parts inventory, and maintenance personnel.
The M109A7 can sustain a one-round per-minute rate of fire and a maximum rate of fire of four rounds per minute. Weighing 78,000 lb (35,000 kg), the M109A7 is 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) heavier than its predecessor, and it has the capacity to grow to 110,000 lb (50,000 kg). Even with the weight increase, the M109A7 can travel faster than previous versions at 38 mph (61 km/h) and is more maneuverable than a BFV. By introducing the new XM1113 Rocket-Assisted Projectile (RAP), it can reach 40 km (25 mi) from the current 39-caliber barrel. A planned barrel extension to 58-caliber can increase its range to 70 km (43 mi). An additional improvement over the legacy RAP round is the replacement of the high explosive, TNT, with an insensitive munition that is less volatile and less prone to unplanned detonation.
The M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicle (FAASV) is built on the chassis of the M109 howitzer. It is also colloquially referred to as a “cat” (referring to its nomenclature, CAT: Carrier, Ammunition, Tracked). It replaced the M548 supply vehicle. Unlike the M548, it is armored. This ammunition vehicle has no turret, but has a taller superstructure to store 90-95 rounds (depending on the model) with a corresponding number of powders and primers. For the M992 and M992A1 there is a maximum of 90 conventional rounds, 45 each in two racks, and three M712 Copperhead rounds. Until recently, much of the remaining internal crew space was taken up by a hydraulically-powered conveyor system designed to allow the quick uploading of rounds or their transfer to the M109-series howitzer. The M992A3s, with brand new structures, will be completely fabricated in York.
