US M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzers participate in live-fire exercise in Lithuania.

M109A7 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzers assigned to the U.S. 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, took part in live-fire exercise during Baltic Ballista, a multinational exercise held at Pabrade Training Area, Lithuania, April 21, 2022. As part of the event, the Soldiers conducted training and platoon certifications on Artillery Table XII.
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M109A7 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzers assigned to the U.S. 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, took part in live-fire exercise during Baltic Ballista, a multinational exercise held at Pabrade Training Area, Lithuania, April 21, 2022.  (Picture source: U.S. Army National Guard/Sgt. Agustín Montañez)

The 5th Field Artillery Regiment was constituted as part of the Regular Army in January 1907. Individual battalions have lineages that date back further. Currently, it is a parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, with a single active battalion, the 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery, which is assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas.

The M109A7 program enhances the reliability, maintainability, performance, responsiveness, and lethality of the combat-proven M109A6 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer and M992A2 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicles (FAASV) while providing increased commonality within the U.S. Army Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT).

The M109A7 is the latest howitzer in the BAE Systems M109 family of vehicles, the primary indirect fire support system for the ABCTs. It uses the existing main armament and cab structure of a M109A6 Paladin, and replaces the vehicle’s chassis components with modem components common to the Bradley vehicle. The improved chassis structure provides greater survivability and commonality with the existing systems in the ABCT, reducing operational sustainability costs by replacing obsolete components.

The M109A7 is supported by the Army as a vital technology enhancement program to maintain the combat capability of its ABCTs. The M109A7 will solve the long-term readiness and modernization needs of the M109 family of vehicles through a critical redesign and production plan that leverages the most advanced technology available today. This state-of-the-art “digital backbone” and power generation capability provides a more robust, survivable and responsive indirect fire support capability for ABCT Soldiers.

The M109A7 is considered to be the most cost-effective method to significantly improve sustainability and survivability while reducing the logistics burden on the ABCT and supporting fires brigades. The program is executed as a public/private partnership between the Army’s Project Manager-HBCT, Anniston Army Depot and BAE Systems that leverages the strengths of both public and private sectors to ensure the best value for U.S. soldiers. The M109A7 production is performed at Anniston Army Depot, Alabama, and BAE Systems facilities in York, Penn.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Sterling Heights, Mich.; Endicott, N.Y.; and Elgin, Okla.

M992A2 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle (FAASV) of the U.S. 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (Picture source: U.S. Army National Guard/Sgt. Agustín Montañez)