Basis of Issue Plan - BOIP
A. DESCRIPTION: THE M109A6 PALADIN IS A PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM (PIP) TO THE M109 SELF-PROPELLED HOWITZER AND WEIGHS
APPROXIMATELY 64,000 POUNDS. THE PALADIN PROVIDES UPGRADES TO
HOWITZER RESPONSIVENESS, SURVIVABILITY, RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY AND
MAINTAINABILITY (RAM). THE M109A6 IS AN ARMORED, FULL TRACKED
HOWITZER, EQUIPPED WITH THE M185 155MM MODIFIED CANNON, AND MODIFIED
M178 GUN MOUNT, WITH A REMOTE CONTROL POWER TRAVEL LOCK. THE SYSTEM
INCORPORATES MANY OF THE M109 HELP IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING IMPROVED
HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEM, ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS, VENTILATED FACE
PIECE, AND AN UPGRADED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE PALADIN INCORPORATES A
NEW TURRET WITH KEVLAR LINERS AND A FULL WIDTH BUSTLE WITH ARMOR
SHIELDING FOR IMPROVED PROPELLING CHARGE PROTECTION. THE FOLLOWING
LINE ITEM IS A COMPONENT TO THIS SYSTEM: K93373, INTERCOM SYSTEM
VIC-I. SEE BLOCK H FOR A LIST OF NON-LIN COMPONENT ITEMS.
B. CAPABILITIES: THE M109A6 PALADIN INCORPORATES STATE-OF-
THE-ART TECHNOLOGIES TO ENHANCE THE SYSTEM'S SURVIVABILITY,
RESPONSIVENESS, TERMINAL EFFECTIVENESS, RANGE, FIRING RATE, THERMAL
CAPACITY AND RAM. IT'S ABILITY TO RAPIDLY EMPLACE AND FIRE ALLOWS
IT TO MOVE MORE FREQUENTLY SO THAT IT'S SUSCEPTIBILITY TO COUNTERFIRE
IS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED.
(1) FIRE CONTROL. THE ON-BOARD AUTOMATIC FIRE CONTROL
SYSTEM WILL BE FULLY AUTOMATED. IT WILL COMPUTE THE FIRE MISSIONS
AND LAY THE GUN AT PROPER ELEVATION AND DEFLECTION. IT WILL PROVIDE
POSITION LOCATION AND AZIMUTH REFERENCE, ON BOARD BALLISTIC SOLUTIONS
OF FIRE MISSIONS, AND COMPUTER CONTROLLED GUN-DRIVE SERVOS WITH
MANUAL BACKUP. THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL PERMIT RAPID EMPLACEMENT/
DISPLACEMENT TACTICS AND DISPERSED POSITIONING FOR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS
OPERATIONS WITH SEPARATION DISTANCES OF UP TO 1KM. THE EMPLACED
PALADIN WILL BE CAPABLE OF FIRING WITHIN 30 SECONDS.
(2) ARMAMENT AND AMMUNITION. ALL CURRENT, AS WELL AS
DEVELOPMENTAL, U.S. CONVENTIONAL 155MM ARTILLERY PROJECTILES WILL BE
SYSTEM COMPATIBLE. IT IS CAPABLE OF TRANSPORTING 39 ROUNDS ON BOARD
(37 CONVENTIONAL AND 2 OVERSIZED PROJECTILES, E.G., COPPERHEAD).
THE COMBINATION OF CANNON/BREACH PROPELLING CHARGE, AND PROJECTILE
WILL PERMIT AN UNASSISTED MAXIMUM RANGE OF 22 KM AND AN ASSISTED
MAXIMUM RANGE OF APPROXIMATELY 30 KM.
(3) COMMAND, CONTROL AND COMMUNICATIONS. DIGITAL AND VOICE
COMMUNICATIONS, USING CURRENT SYSTEMS AND THE SINGLE CHANNEL GROUND/
AIRBORNE RADIO SYSTEM (SINCGARS), WILL ENABLE THE USE OF AUTONOMOUS
ON-BOARD TECHNICAL FIRE CONTROL. IT WILL ALSO PERMIT FIRE MISSIONS
TO BE EXECUTED BY ANY COMBINATION OF ARTILLERY FROM ONE GUN TO
MULTIPLE BATTALIONS. TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL FIRE CONTROL WILL BE
MAINTAINED THROUGH INTERFRCE WITH THE BATTERY COMPUTER SYSTEM (BCS),
TACTICAL FIRE DIRECTION SYSTEM (TACFIRE), AND, WHEN FIELDED,
ADVANCED FIELD ARTILLERY TACTICAL DATA SYSTEM (AFATDS). COMMUNICA-
TIONS WILL BE SECURE.
(4) BUILT-IN TEST EQUIPMENT (BITE), BOTH DIAGNOSTIC AND
PROGNOSTIC, WILL BE USED. THE CREW WILL HAVE BENEFIT OF AN IMPROVED
NBC PROTECTIVE SYSTEM AND MICRO-CLIMATIC COOLING SYSTEM WHICH WILL
PROVIDE FILTERED AIR TO A FACE-PIECE AND VEST. PASSIVE
NIGHT VISION DEVICES FOR THE DRIVER WILL FACILITATE MOVEMENT AND
ENHANCE SURVIVABILITY.
C. EMPLOYMENT: THE M109A6 PALADIN WILL NORMALLY BE LOCATED IN
FIRING PLATOON AREAS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PLATOON FDC AND WITH
SUPPORT CENTRALIZED IN A BATTERY SUPPORT AREA. PAIRED HOWITZERS WILL
OPERATE IN 1KM DIAMETER BATTLE POSITIONS. INDIVIDUAL HOWITZERS MAY
OPERATE IN INDIVIDUAL BATTLE POSITIONS.
D. BASIS OF ISSUE: ONE-FOR-ONE REPLACEMENT FOR LIN K57667
HOWITZER MEDIUM SELF PROPELLED: 155MM (M109 A2-5) IN FIRING
BATTERIES ORGANIZED FOR PLATOON OPERATIONS ONLY.
E. POWER REQUIREMENTS: NA.
F. TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS: THE M109A6 PALADIN WILL BE
TRANSPORTABLE BY ROAD, RAIL, SEA OR AIR (C5A) AND WILL MEET EUROPEAN
RAIL, BRIDGE AND TUNNEL RESTRICTIONS.
G. PERSONNEL/MAINTENANCE IMPACTS:
(1) OPERATOR(S):
(A) CREW SIZE/MOS: THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS COMPRISE
THE HOWITZER SECTION/CREW IN SUPPORT OF THE PALADIN AND AMMUNITION
RESUPPLY VEHICLE:
1 - E6, 13B, HOWITZER SECTION CHIEF
1 - E5, 13B, GUNNER
1 - E5, 13B, AMMUNITION TEAM CHIEF
1 - E4, 13B, ASST GUNNER
1 - E4, 13B, SP HOWITZER DRIVER
1 - E4, 13B, AMMO VEHICLE DRIVER
3 - E3, 13B, CANNONEER
(B) TRAINING REQUIREMENTS: MOS RESIDENT TRAINING
IMPACT IS AS FOLLOWS:
MOS
13B, 44B, 44E, 45B
45D, 45K, 45G, 63H, 63G, 63J
(2) MAINTAINERS:
(A) UNIT LEVEL: MOS'S 31U, 35Y, 45D, 52C, 63B, 63D,
63J, 63Y, & 92Y.
(B) IDS LEVEL: MOS'S 29E, 29N, 29S, 35H, 35Y, 39C,
39E, 44B, 44E, 45B, 45D, 45K, 52C,
63B, 63D, 63G, 63H, & 63J
(C) IGS LEVEL: MOS'S 29E, 29N, 29S, 35H, 35Y, 39B,
44B, 44E, 45B, 45K, 63B, 63G, 63H,
& 63J.
H. SPECIAL NOTES:
(1) AS CURRENTLY PLANNED, THE PALADIN IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE
APPLIED TO ONLY 824 OF THE M109 FLEET.
(2) THIS BOING IS APPROPRIATE FOR PUBLICATION IN AR 71-13.
(3) NON-LIN COMPONENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
LIN/NSN/PN NOMENCLATURE QTY/RATIO
NYA MICROCLIMATE COOLING SYSTEM 1:HOW
NYA AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER 1:HOW
SYSTEM: HALON
NYA AUTOMATIC FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM 1:HOW
(AFCS)
SUB-COMPONENTS:
12561802 DISPLAY UNIT
12553949 CONTROL UNIT
12561727 BALLISTIC COMPUTER/WEAPONS
CONTROLLER
12561713 COMMUNICATIONS PROCESSOR
12561743 POWER CONDITIONING UNIT
12554020 PROGNOSTIC DIAGNOSTIC
INTERFACE UNIT
12361394 VEHICLE MOTION SENSOR (VMS) (2)
12561737 VMS MODEM (2)
9396270 DYNAMIC REFERENCE UNIT
12553898 GUN DRIVE SERVO (EL)
12561758 GUN DRIVE SERVO (AZ)
(4) THAT FUNCTION PERFORMED BY THE GUN DISPLAY UNIT
(D31557) IS NOW PERFORMED BY THE AUTOMATIC FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM (AFCS)
WHICH IS A COMPONENT OF THE PALADIN HOWITZER. THE AFCS COMMUNICATES
WITH THE BATTERY COMPUTER SYSTEM VIA THE SINCGARS RADIO.