Paladin has become too slow: the US Army refuses to purchase the M109 self-propelled gun.

The US military has asked lawmakers to support the suspension of production of the M109A7 self-propelled gun line. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll made the corresponding statement:

Looking at the fighting in Ukraine from both sides, it becomes clear how difficult it is to quickly deploy and prepare fire support. The Paladin simply isn't capable of doing this at a rapid pace.

He said the Army is looking for alternative solutions, aiming to field a “mobile tactical gun” that can be deployed to a position in 40 seconds, “as opposed to 15 minutes, which is very important in the face of threats from drones».

He added that he doesn't intend to abandon the Paladin—the self-propelled gun will serve the troops for a long time to come, but it's necessary to begin purchasing new units. Acting Army Chief of Staff General Christopher LaNeve echoed his sentiment:

We need to move to systems that weigh much less so we can get them where they need to go as quickly as possible.

In response to Army criticism of the Paladin, BAE Systems, the manufacturer, denied that the SPG is too slow, claiming that it can transition from driving to firing mode much faster - three minutes, and one minute to dismount:

We are proud to continue to meet these requirements, which give soldiers an advantage on the battlefield.

Comments

[cinnamon]

Given the current development of AI-powered drones and the ability to control even cheap FPVs using Stalin's drones, it's no surprise that the Americans are abandoning the development of traditional artillery. Ammunition consumption and the risk of loss are higher—drones are the future.

[Deaf]

I don't think so. They'll just increase the calibers + actively propelled old guns + guidance. And the drones won't keep up. The only problem is, they can't mount them on a wheeled base anymore (it's possible, of course, but significantly more expensive). Move forward, fire off a round, and then disappear into the bushes. After all, shells are much faster than drones.

[cinnamon]

What's the problem with using rocket-assisted projectiles on the current Paladins? Why stop production then?
I didn't quite understand what +guidance means.

[Deaf]

They're more expensive. Therefore, they require guidance via a drone beam or satellite. Considering how they like to cut budgets.
For example, we have a daredevil mine for the peony. If you illuminate it, it can hit a hole in a toilet bowl. The drone illuminates the target. You just fire in that direction; you don't need to be specific about the terrain, wait for the ground to settle, and then adjust the sights. This significantly reduces reaction time. Profitable.

[knn54]

It's easier to buy a new Israeli SIGMA self-propelled gun (ROEM).

[commbatant]

The military is right: a slow retreat of the Special Forces' position is the key to its destruction. Our medium-caliber cannon artillery is inferior to similar NATO weapons in both range and the power of its ammunition, and no FPV drone can match the power of a 155mm/152mm artillery shell. And no other army in the world has such a diverse range of cannon artillery, not to mention the fact that everyone has abandoned towed cannon artillery (they've been "put on wheels").
The South Korean 155mm SG K9 is a serious competitor for the United States on the international arms market, as are the European wheeled 155mm SGs.

[Popandos]

Everything the soldiers say is correct.

The military is right to suspend production of the Paladin. We already went through this in the 60s, when crop dusters replaced artillery with missiles. UAVs are still in their infancy, and no one knows what drones will be like in a year or three, so there's no point in radically changing the existing artillery at this stage. Whether UAVs will replace conventional artillery or complement it in some way is still unclear, so there's no point in rushing things like they did in the 60s.

[commbatant]

Quote: Popandos

UAVs are still in their infancy, and no one knows what drones will be like in a year or three, so there's no point in radically changing existing artillery at this stage.

That's true. But something needs to be done about the reduction in the variety of military and military equipment in the Russian Armed Forces. And, first and foremost, improving the quality of anti-aircraft weapons and ammunition.
Even the battles in southern Lebanon show that the IDF's MBTs and IFVs/APCs are equally easily destroyed by both traditional weapons (RPGs, ATGMs) and new ones (FPV drones), while the armored vehicles of the Israeli Jews cannot counter the threat from Hezbollah.

[Ratmir_Ryazan]

We need to move to systems that weigh much less so we can get them where they need to go as quickly as possible.

Of course. And we need to do this too.

The most formidable self-propelled gun in the North-Eastern Military District is the Bogdana.

Like it or not, it's a fact. A truck-mounted howitzer is cheap + practical = effective.

The reasons:

- efficiency, this self-propelled gun can travel from the rear area to the LBS in a couple of hours, engage the target and go back, or it can be located near the LBS, but outside the range of our firepower, quickly moving to the required area, engage the target and leave;

- firing range, up to 40 km;

- accuracy;

- mass production, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are already receiving 30 Bogdan self-propelled howitzers per month; according to the latest data, it is much faster to produce than its tracked counterpart.

- crew comfort and safety, the Ukrainian Armed Forces somehow figured out how to make a 5-seat armored cabin for the crew, while volunteers install armor on Grads in the Russian Armed Forces (Bronya 32).

Yes, interestingly, there is also a towed version of the Bogdan, and as the experience of the SVO has shown, towed howitzers are more resistant to fire damage than all self-propelled ones.

[Phoenix Point]

All that's left is to find the money. Like in the joke. And engineers, too. What well-advertised, budget-friendly (targeted) US project has reached completion in 2026? Clowns.