1st Unit To Use M109A7 Paladin Howitzer | Saab Upgrades German Tornado Aircrafts’ Radar Warners | Philippines Get 6 T129s From 3rd Quarter

Americas

Boeing won a $24.1 million contract modification, which exercises an option to procure additional software builds to provide correction of deficiencies, to include software enhancements or improvements, engineering analyses and evaluations, and integration and test activity in support of the P-8A Increment 3 Acoustics Multi-static Active Coherent Enhancements program. The Poseidon’s increment 3 focuses on a network-ready open-systems electronics architecture and network-enabled weapons for existing P-8A aircraft. The Poseidon is a militarized version of the Boeing 737 single-aisle jetliner, while the much-older P-3 is a militarized version of the Lockheed Martin L-188 Electra four-engine turboprop passenger plan, which has been flying since the late 1950s. Work will take place in California and Maryland. Estimated completion date is in February 2024.

According to the US Army, a National Guard artillery unit was the first to conduct a live-fire test with the new M109A7 Self-Propelled Howitzer System last week. The 1st Battalion, 113th Field Artillery Regiment, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team worked with the newly-fielded artillery at Fort Bragg, NC, for two weeks before a demonstration of the weapon, known in various iterations as the Paladin. The howitzers resemble lightly-armored tanks, and specialize in long-distance aerial bombardment. All systems can be controlled by a crew of four.

Middle East & Africa

Vectrus Systems won a $9.3 million contract modification for the incorporation of additional services for base period through option period seven under the base operating services (BOS) contract at Isa Air Base (ISA). The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor and transportation services necessary for BOS at ISA, Kingdom of Bahrain. Performance period is from December 1, 2020 to November 30, 2021.

Europe

Saab is poised to upgrade the Radar warning equipment on the Tornado aircraft operated by the German Air Force, following an order from Panavia Aircraft GmbH. According to Saab, the company will supply modern digital components, which will enhance the processing power and extend the lifetime of the Tornado’s radar warning equipment. Deliveries will take place between 2021 and 2025. Saab will carry out the work at its sites in Nuremberg, Germany and Järfälla, Sweden. The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing multirole combat aircraft, jointly developed and manufactured by Italy, the United Kingdom and West Germany. Saab received the initial order for radar warning equipment for Germany’s Tornado fighters in 1999.

Asia-Pacific

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told Philippine News Agency (PNA) that six T129B attack helicopters would be delivered in third quarter of this year. PNA reported that the budget for the helicopter program is $287 million.

Leonardo announced on Twitter that it supplied two AW139 helicopters for use by the Australian Army. “We are proud to announce that we have successfully delivered the first of two AW139 helicopters to Toll Group. The two helicopters will be operated by the Australian Army and will be based at the Army base located in Townsville,” the company tweeted. The AW139 is a 15-seat medium-sized twin-engined helicopter marketed at several different roles, including VIP/corporate transport, offshore transport, fire-fighting, law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical service, disaster relief, and maritime patrol.

Today’s Video

Watch: U.S National Guard brigade receives new M109A7 Paladin howitzer!

Have Guns, Will Upgrade: The M109A7 Paladin PIM Self-Propelled Howitzer

The USA’s 155mm M109 self-propelled howitzers (SPH) were first introduced in 1962, as a form of armored mobile artillery that could stand up to the massed fire tactics of Soviet heavy artillery and rockets. They and their companion M992 Armored Ammunition Resupply Vehicles (AARV) have been rebuilt and upgraded several times, most recently via the M109A6 Paladin upgrade.

In the meantime, the Army has re-learned a few home truths. Artillery arrives in seconds rather than minutes or hours, is never unavailable due to bad weather, and cheaply delivers a volume of explosive destruction that would otherwise require hundreds of millions of dollars worth of bombers and precision weapons. Most combat casualties in the gunpowder age have come from artillery fire, and the US Army will need its mobile fleet for some time to come. So, too, will the many countries that have bought the M109 and still use it, unless BAE wishes to cede that market to South Korea’s modern K9/K10 system, or new concept candidates like the KMW/GDLS DONAR. What to do? Enter the Paladin PIM program.