Paladin was first fielded in 1994. The widely used M109 carries a 155-mm howitzer and is the principal self-propelled artillery support for U.S. Army divisions. It is a large tracked vehicle with a fully traversable turret and prominent bustle. Early variants had a short, 23-caliber barrel. Later versions, including the M109A6 Paladin, have a 39-caliber barrel.
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.
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